The Las Cruces Vaqueros baseball team lost the Continental League Championship series to the Big Bend Cowboys this past weekend in Big Bend. The Vaqueros lost the final game 14-1 and will finish in second place in the four team Continental League.
The league recently announced that it will not continue past this year so the Vaqueros have accepted an invitation to join the newly formed Pecos League. I think it was a small miracle that the Vaqueros lasted through an entire season and am glad that they have been invited back to play in another league. This year, the Continental Baseball League listed El Paso as the home site for the Desert Valley Mountain Lions and the Coastal Kingfish but trying to get information on ticket prices for home games or even a location where the games were played was more challenging than T.O. trying to find a team that would take him.
I really applaud the Vaqueros and the other teams for hanging tough through these tough economic times and hope that they find success in the Pecos League. A few things that I think would help the upcoming Pecos League broaden its fan base (especially among families):
1. Offer a free children ticket with purchase of an adult ticket.
2. Update websites frequently with game and ticket information.
3. Utilize social networking sites to promote home games.
4. Promotions, promotions, promotions. Meet the player day, autograph Tuesdays, Vaquero baseball camp.
The other local team, the El Paso Diablos, need a miracle to dig itself out of the cellar in the American Association. The Diablos have lost three straight as of August 1, and are sitting at 7-16 in the Southern Division.
Despite their woes on the field they are sitting in second place in league attendance with an average of 4,018 fans per game. The St. Paul Saints lead the league with an average of 4,911 fans per game. I don't think El Paso fans really care whether the Diablos rack up the wins and chase a league title as long as the game promotions make a trip to the park worth it.
In the El Paso Times, fans can cut out a coupon for any game this week that will get them a free admission with a paid admission. The promotions this coming week include: Thirsty Thursdays, Where's Waldo Wednesday, Bud Lite Lime Tuesdays, and Autograph giveaway Mondays. Talk of the Diablos getting the team from Portland has heated up in the past few weeks but the probability that we will land them doesn't seem to promising. Affiliated baseball would be great for the city but with the economy being what it is I don't see the city putting up big money to renovate the stadium in hopes of luring the Portland team.
We hope to catch a few more games this year before the summer finally escapes us. Let's just hope the Diablos have at least one more run in them to make the last part of the season interesting.
Jazzy and Stevo at a recent Diablo Game
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