Call it a warm-weather phenomenon, but attending a Madison Mallards baseball game can bring out the wild side of even the most conservative fan. “In their everyday life, [our fans] might be very reasonable,” smiled Mallards president, Vern Stenman, “but when they come out here, they sing ‘Sweet Caroline’ and eat donut hamburgers.” After all, a Mallards game, with all its goings-on, is sometimes compared to a carnival, and to a certain extent, Stenman wouldn’t have it any other way.
On this snowy, April morning, it’s hard to imagine the crack of bats, the aroma of hot dogs or, better yet, of bacon-cheddar burgers sandwiched between two glazed donuts, a limited specialty at the “Duck Pond.” “They sell out every time they’re offered,” Stenman laughed. In health-conscious Madison, one might think otherwise, but he said some healthier options just haven’t proved popular.
Hard to imagine. But then, who ever thought the Madison Mallards would be celebrating its 10th anniversary? It is, after all, the fifth of five baseball teams to call Warner Park home. Remember the Mustangs, Madison Hatters, Muskies and Black Wolf?
Stenman, 32, recently recently named president, has led the operation from the beginning, previously as general manager. He’s won numerous awards for his innovative theme nights, such as “Star Wars” night or the ill-fated (due to weather) “Big Labowski” night. He and his staff occupy a cluttered but cozy space behind the left field ticket office. Stenman’s office, in fact, was once a suite.
Early in our conversation, Stenman receives an incoming fax from Steve Schmidt, renown local baseball fan and owner of The Shoe Box and Rookies Sports Bar. “Steve always communicates by fax [not e-mail],” Stenman said, placing an immediate return call to his boss and [now] business partner.
In December, the two aficionados purchased the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters, an expansion team, and have since hired a 25-year old female general manager, one of only a few women in baseball management. This day, their five-minute phone conversation centers around the design of “Rosco,” the mascot.
“It’s not the biggest market,” Stenman says of Wisconsin Rapids, “but it’s a baseball town, and there’s nothing to compete with us there. We feel we’ll hit our peak there very rapidly,” as opposed to Madison, which he said took several years to peak.
For both men, baseball is a passion. “Some people buy cabins, Steve bought a baseball team,” Stenman said. Ten years later, the gamble has obviously worked.
Back at the Pond, Stenman and seven full-time employees are busily preparing for the 2010 baseball season. “People don’t think we work after the season ends each August,” he laughed. And while he admits having so much time to plan is a luxury, it is not, he insists, a time to rest on laurels.
His is the premium marketing job. It’s about staying in front of the media, ad campaigns, T-shirt designs, developing promotional ideas (“bobbleheads and fireworks sell tickets”), managing corporate sponsorships, and increasing ticket sales. A new, five-game ticket package was designed this year as a new effort to attract larger crowds.
Then, of course, there is the baseball. Unlike its four predecessors, which were professional teams, the Mallards, affiliates of the Northwoods League, is a summer training ground for college players hoping to one day make it into the “Bigs.” Over the winter, manager T.J. Thieleke and Stenman assemble a 30-man roster.
“We can’t send people out to recruit, so we rely on relationships,” Stenman said. LSU, the national college baseball champs, is a valuable talent pool, as are the University of Virginia, Texas A&M, and others. (UW-Madison doesn’t field a men’s team.)
While NCAA rules dictate that college players cannot get paid, the Mallards do provide housing and transportation. Luckily, host families help. The team has about 30 who volunteer to house and feed team members each summer. “They get free season tickets in exchange, and really become part of our family,” Stenman said.
Players lucky enough to be offered the Mallard gig spend their summer breaks honing skills and transitioning from the aluminum bats of college ball, to wood bats of the pros. The difference is significant. “Wood bats have a very small sweet spot.”
For the past seven years, the Mallards have either made it to the playoffs, or have come very close. “But from a business standpoint, we always plan on losing,” Stenman said, “because you never know what will happen.” His two main frustrations are things he cannot control: the quality (i.e. health) of the team each year and the weather. Last year was particularly troublesome. Of 14 weekend home dates, 12 were impacted by rain or cold weather. To top it off, the team sustained more than its share of pitching injuries. Consequently, more pitchers were signed this year, with some capable of playing dual roles.
While he said the team is profitable, Stenman is reluctant to disclose specifics. “We make a lot of customer service decisions, entertainment decisions, and fun decisions, but not too many directed at the bottom line.”
Stenman said staff payroll and concessions make up the lion’s share of the team’s annual expense budget. (The Mallards runs their own food operation, and shares its chef with Rookies.) Stadium maintenance, improvements, and promotional expenses are the next largest line-items, with remaining costs divvied up between things such as marketing, uniforms, transportation, and insurance. Players are expected to provide their own primary insurance, but the team offers a supplemental plan as well. The Mallards also cover visiting team meals and accommodations.
The Duck Pond is actually leased from the City of Madison for about $23,000 a year, with annual increases of about 3%.
It’s a win-win situation. The Mallards reinvest any profits back into ballpark improvements. Any changes, though, must first be approved by the city, which owns the property and maintains the field.
“[The city] has a much better stadium now than when we first came in,” Stenman said. “They’re very important to us.”
Currently, the Mallards are adding about 220 original Wrigley Field seats, reconfiguring the left field line, and upgrading its sound system. “We have to consider our neighbors,” Stenman said. The team will spend about $40,000 to replace 10 speakers with 22 smaller ones that will be aimed inward towards the field. A much larger renovation of the infield grandstand is planned for next fall.
By opening day, June 2, Stenman will increase his staff by about six seasonal employees, a dozen interns, and 320 part-timers. Hours will be long, with staff wearing multiple hats and working late into the evenings.
“Everything we do is about fan experience,” Stenman said. “We try to build baseball fans.” Still, while the fun, festive game experience has enormous appeal, Stenman insists winning and losing remains of utmost importance. “You can have long-term fans with a baseball team, but not with a carnival.”
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