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Not just a game, but a Spectacle Contests, freebies, kids' fun all part of Wranglers games Thursday night, Steve Young stood along the left-field foul line at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium, catching pop flies as the Wichita Wranglers prepared to bat in the third inning. Young isn't a Wranglers player. But he is an example of one of the many ways the Double-A baseball team tries to attract people to the ballpark and keep them entertained. Before the game, Young filled out a form with his name and seat number and dropped it into an entry box. There are about a dozen games and prize giveaways that fans can sign up for, some exclusively for kids.
Young's name was drawn for the pop fly contest. He was given a fielder's glove and escorted onto the field. After he caught three pop flies launched from an airgun by Wilbur, the Wrangler's mascot, he accepted the boisterous cheers from the crowd. He also won a free pay-per-view movie every month for a year from Cox Communications, the contest's sponsor. "I typically sign up for everything they've got," Young said. "That's one of the nice things about coming out to these games is you can have a chance to get something out of it besides just a ballgame." With the Wranglers' attendance at the bottom of the Texas League, and rumors that the team may move to Springdale, Ark., Wichita's commitment to the team has been called into question. Wranglers officials say they recognize how important it is to have activities and attractions beyond the game itself. Besides games like the one Young participated in, fans can catch souvenir T-shirts and flying discs thrown into the stands. Kids can race around the bases, bounce on inflatable rides and play on a jungle gym. "Family-friendly affordable entertainment -- that has been the mantra," said Eric Edelstein, the Wranglers' general manager. "Playing nine innings of baseball won't hold a family's attention exclusively. There has got to be something else." There are trivia contests between innings, music clips to introduce each Wranglers player as he goes to bat, and fireworks after every Saturday home game. "It is great to have all this interaction with the crowd,"
said Lynn Whitchurch, who attended Thursday's game with her son,
Brayden, 7, and his baseball team, the Wichita Storm. "It
helps the boys hang in there, watch the game and enjoy the game
the whole time."
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