The Cleveland Indians Announce Plan to Turn Stadium Into A Winter Amusement Park - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Brian Damage · 09-23-2010, 10:18 PM

CLEVELAND -- If you've ever seen a big-league ballpark covered in snow, you know it can be a disconcerting sight. There is, perhaps, no better illustration of summer's charm giving way to winter's wrath.

The Indians, however, are bringing a new look to winter on a stage normally associated with summer. A bastion of baseball will become a winter playground when the team opens the gates for the first-ever Snow Days at Progressive Field.

Beginning with "Snowpening Day" -- Friday, Nov. 26 from noon to 10 p.m. ET -- and running until at least Jan. 2, 2011, the Snow Days experiences, which include ice skating and snow tubing, will be open to the public. It's a novel use of a Major League facility, and a creative way for the small-market Indians to try to generate new revenue sources.

"We are uniquely positioned and staffed to put on special events," said Bob DiBiasio, the club's vice president of public relations. "We decided to take advantage of some silent time during the wintertime."

The Cubs and Red Sox have turned Wrigley Field and Fenway Park into hockey facilities for outdoor NHL games in recent years, and some Minor League clubs have used their ballparks for ice rinks. But the Indians are the first ballclub to host a winter event of this magnitude.

Snow Days will feature a snow tubing hill cheekily known as the Batterhorn. Sponsored by RTA (Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority), it will be a 10-lane hill -- eight adult lanes that run from the top of the Time Warner Cable bleachers and two children's lanes starting at the top of the 19-foot wall in left field. The longer lane will run 60 feet, 6 inches -- the same distance from the pitcher's mound to home plate.

The Frozen Mile will be a quarter-mile ice skating track around the outfield, and there will be a small kids' ice skating rink in the left-field corner.

Slider's Snow Mountain will be a kids play area in shallow left field.

Winter Haven -- not to be confused with the Tribe's former Spring Training home in Florida -- will be a walking trail through the outfield under winter lights.

Finally, the home-run porch beyond the left-field wall will be an area for folks to congregate and watch the activities, gather around a fire pit or buy some hot cocoa or other food and beverage items at the concessions.

"We are all about creating memories for families," DiBiasio said.

And to make the experience affordable for families, the Indians have come up with a variable pricing formula.

A general admission pass, which will provide access to all activities except snow tubing and ice skating, will be $5.

A $10 Frozen Mile pass will include the general admission access plus unlimited ice skating and skate rental. A $20 Batterhorn pass will include a two-hour Batterhorn session and general admission access. A $25 Batterhorn/Frozen Mile combo pass will combine the two aforementioned access privileges.

A family day pass, which will run for $100, is good for two adults and two children to enjoy a two-hour Batterhorn session, unlimited Frozen Mile access and skate rental, general admission and food and beverage credits.

Tickets will be available for purchase on indians.com and in Indians Team Shops beginning Monday, Nov. 15 at 10 a.m. Full schedule information is available at www.indians.com/snowdays.

Snow Days will be available for group outings and party rentals and will run nearly every day, with the exception of nine group dates, Monday through Wednesday on select weeks. The ballpark will be open for Snow Days on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Eve (which will include a fireworks display) and New Year's Day.

And what if it is unseasonably warm in Cleveland at any point during the Snow Days stretch? Fear not. The Indians will blanket the field with 150 tons of produced snow each day. They'll be able to maintain the snow up to 53 degrees and the ice in the skating rink up to 70 degrees.

The Indians also consulted with their head groundskeeper, Brandon Koehnke, on how to properly place all the elements without adversely affecting the field conditions.

While the Indians will encounter obvious overhead costs in implementing Snow Days for the first time this year, they see this idea as a way to generate revenues for the Major League club down the road. Snow Days might also open the door to Progressive Field one day hosting hockey games for area college teams.

"No question, this whole thing is based on how can we make ultimate use of this facility for 12 months, not just six months," DiBiasio said. "We've done that indoors. Now, we're taking one more major step outdoors."

http://cleveland.indians.mlb.com/new...s_cle&c_id=cle

Marvo301 · 09-23-2010, 10:32 PM

Well if they can't be good at playing baseball maybe they can be good at throwing snowballs!!

This is the most unique idea for generating revenue I've ever heard of. It will be interesting to see if it's successful!

MrCleveland · 09-24-2010, 12:03 AM

Well...Cleveland NEEDS a Winter Carnival and this should go better than Nickel Beer Night!

catlover79 · 09-24-2010, 02:22 AM

I heard that on the local news and have to admit I was baffled.

But I have to admit it does sound like fun for the whole family - and a great way to bring more revenue and jobs into the city. We shall see!!

http://larrybrownsports.com/baseball...ent-park/31268

Indians Turning Progressive Field into Snow Days Amusement Park
By Larry Brown September 23, 2010

The Cleveland Indians haven’t done too many things right this year on the field. Credit them for getting something right off of it.

Even though their latest project could upset the purists who don’t like seeing mounds destroyed for soccer games and the like, the Indians are getting innovative by unveiling plans to run a winter amusement park at Progressive Field during the offseason. The team is calling the new plan “SnowDays” and beginning it on November 26th, and running it through January, 2011 at the least.

They’ll be offering a snow tubing hill, a quarter mile ice skating track, a skating rink, and a snow mountain as part of their activities. Basic admission will be $5 while a full access pass is $25. I don’t know about you, but this seems pretty darn cool and exactly like the type of thing I would have loved to do as a kid.

Cleveland Indians: last in the AL Central, first in innovation and creativity.

MrCleveland · 09-24-2010, 09:41 AM

Those pics looked wonderful!

I hope that would spark The Cleveland Winter Festival, because Cleveland could sure use one!

09-23-2010, 10:18 PM	#1
Brian Damage I'm Rich Bitch Forum Icon Join Date: Feb 03, 2002 Location: What Ain't No Country I Ever Heard Of...They Speak English in What? Posts: 63,107	The Cleveland Indians Announce Plan to Turn Stadium Into A Winter Amusement Park CLEVELAND -- If you've ever seen a big-league ballpark covered in snow, you know it can be a disconcerting sight. There is, perhaps, no better illustration of summer's charm giving way to winter's wrath. The Indians, however, are bringing a new look to winter on a stage normally associated with summer. A bastion of baseball will become a winter playground when the team opens the gates for the first-ever Snow Days at Progressive Field. Beginning with "Snowpening Day" -- Friday, Nov. 26 from noon to 10 p.m. ET -- and running until at least Jan. 2, 2011, the Snow Days experiences, which include ice skating and snow tubing, will be open to the public. It's a novel use of a Major League facility, and a creative way for the small-market Indians to try to generate new revenue sources. "We are uniquely positioned and staffed to put on special events," said Bob DiBiasio, the club's vice president of public relations. "We decided to take advantage of some silent time during the wintertime." The Cubs and Red Sox have turned Wrigley Field and Fenway Park into hockey facilities for outdoor NHL games in recent years, and some Minor League clubs have used their ballparks for ice rinks. But the Indians are the first ballclub to host a winter event of this magnitude. Snow Days will feature a snow tubing hill cheekily known as the Batterhorn. Sponsored by RTA (Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority), it will be a 10-lane hill -- eight adult lanes that run from the top of the Time Warner Cable bleachers and two children's lanes starting at the top of the 19-foot wall in left field. The longer lane will run 60 feet, 6 inches -- the same distance from the pitcher's mound to home plate. The Frozen Mile will be a quarter-mile ice skating track around the outfield, and there will be a small kids' ice skating rink in the left-field corner. Slider's Snow Mountain will be a kids play area in shallow left field. Winter Haven -- not to be confused with the Tribe's former Spring Training home in Florida -- will be a walking trail through the outfield under winter lights. Finally, the home-run porch beyond the left-field wall will be an area for folks to congregate and watch the activities, gather around a fire pit or buy some hot cocoa or other food and beverage items at the concessions. "We are all about creating memories for families," DiBiasio said. And to make the experience affordable for families, the Indians have come up with a variable pricing formula. A general admission pass, which will provide access to all activities except snow tubing and ice skating, will be $5. A $10 Frozen Mile pass will include the general admission access plus unlimited ice skating and skate rental. A $20 Batterhorn pass will include a two-hour Batterhorn session and general admission access. A $25 Batterhorn/Frozen Mile combo pass will combine the two aforementioned access privileges. A family day pass, which will run for $100, is good for two adults and two children to enjoy a two-hour Batterhorn session, unlimited Frozen Mile access and skate rental, general admission and food and beverage credits. Tickets will be available for purchase on indians.com and in Indians Team Shops beginning Monday, Nov. 15 at 10 a.m. Full schedule information is available at www.indians.com/snowdays. Snow Days will be available for group outings and party rentals and will run nearly every day, with the exception of nine group dates, Monday through Wednesday on select weeks. The ballpark will be open for Snow Days on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Eve (which will include a fireworks display) and New Year's Day. And what if it is unseasonably warm in Cleveland at any point during the Snow Days stretch? Fear not. The Indians will blanket the field with 150 tons of produced snow each day. They'll be able to maintain the snow up to 53 degrees and the ice in the skating rink up to 70 degrees. The Indians also consulted with their head groundskeeper, Brandon Koehnke, on how to properly place all the elements without adversely affecting the field conditions. While the Indians will encounter obvious overhead costs in implementing Snow Days for the first time this year, they see this idea as a way to generate revenues for the Major League club down the road. Snow Days might also open the door to Progressive Field one day hosting hockey games for area college teams. "No question, this whole thing is based on how can we make ultimate use of this facility for 12 months, not just six months," DiBiasio said. "We've done that indoors. Now, we're taking one more major step outdoors." http://cleveland.indians.mlb.com/new...s_cle&c_id=cle
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09-23-2010, 10:32 PM	#2
Marvo301 I'm NOT a Blockhead! Forum Celebrity Join Date: May 17, 2002 Location: The Great White North Posts: 21,461	Well if they can't be good at playing baseball maybe they can be good at throwing snowballs!! This is the most unique idea for generating revenue I've ever heard of. It will be interesting to see if it's successful!
	__________________ Only a life lived for others is worth living. Albert Einstein A life isn't worth living unless it has impact on other lives. Jackie Robinson Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man. Benjamin Franklin

09-24-2010, 12:03 AM	#3
MrCleveland Drew Carey from Hell Forum Star Join Date: Nov 10, 2007 Location: The City of Cleveland, in The State of Cleveland, in The United States of Cleveland Posts: 14,237	Well...Cleveland NEEDS a Winter Carnival and this should go better than Nickel Beer Night!
	__________________ Thank God for kids that love Obscure Things. Lee Hazlewood (1929-2007) You ARE Special to God! Rev. Ernest Angely (August 1921-May 2021)

09-24-2010, 02:22 AM	#4
catlover79 God Bless Val Forum Addict Join Date: May 29, 2006 Location: Bewitched in Ohio Posts: 70,392	I heard that on the local news and have to admit I was baffled. But I have to admit it does sound like fun for the whole family - and a great way to bring more revenue and jobs into the city. We shall see!! http://larrybrownsports.com/baseball...ent-park/31268 Indians Turning Progressive Field into Snow Days Amusement Park By Larry Brown September 23, 2010 The Cleveland Indians haven’t done too many things right this year on the field. Credit them for getting something right off of it. Even though their latest project could upset the purists who don’t like seeing mounds destroyed for soccer games and the like, the Indians are getting innovative by unveiling plans to run a winter amusement park at Progressive Field during the offseason. The team is calling the new plan “SnowDays” and beginning it on November 26th, and running it through January, 2011 at the least. They’ll be offering a snow tubing hill, a quarter mile ice skating track, a skating rink, and a snow mountain as part of their activities. Basic admission will be $5 while a full access pass is $25. I don’t know about you, but this seems pretty darn cool and exactly like the type of thing I would have loved to do as a kid. Cleveland Indians: last in the AL Central, first in innovation and creativity. Attached Images
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09-24-2010, 09:41 AM	#5
MrCleveland Drew Carey from Hell Forum Star Join Date: Nov 10, 2007 Location: The City of Cleveland, in The State of Cleveland, in The United States of Cleveland Posts: 14,237	Those pics looked wonderful! I hope that would spark The Cleveland Winter Festival, because Cleveland could sure use one!