This past week former New York Mets catcher John Stearns passed away after a long battle with cancer, and it served again as a reminder the value that Old Timers Day’s, alumni weekends, and various other gatherings can serve to rekindle storytelling, build fan equity, and even connect a current generation to one prior. The Mets resurrected their gathering this year, while the Yankees and Dodgers have a consistent presence. Recently the Capitals announced details for their alumni weekend, and there was a smattering of reunions this year in MLB, but Why aren’t there more?
These events serve as a common, often overlooked niche; connecting stars of the past to the audience of today, which to be viable needs to engage both a young rising crowd as well as those more senior who by the way, understand who they are watching and have some disposable income.
In baseball, a sport that prides itself on its history and tradition, that once had a sponsored nationwide series that honored its stars of the past in ballparks across the country, has dismissed an annual gathering as cost prohibitive and unsponsorable.
First, one of the beauties of Old Timers…which is very much a misnomer given the average age of players returning…is not just for its superstars, it’s to honor some of the players who meant much to the team yet were not Hall of Fame quality. In the Mets case, for every Darryl Strawberry, there was Brian Jay Hook. For every Keith Hernandez there was Todd Pratt. It is a celebration of all pieces of the brand, with many sponsorable parts, if needed. Many former players would look for ancillary dollars for meet and greets and clinics, or maybe a more extensive panel on a select event in team history, a championship anniversary for example. Those dollars and the value they bring in good will add up over time, especially with athletes who will not command high dollars for their alumni. It does not have to be overly commercial, but the added value to bring in guys…planned out well in advance, can make an annual event a winner.
However one of the hidden gems that still goes ignored in the sales area remains special events and programs tailored towards Baby Boomers. Teams always strive to cater to the young, the hip, the time crunched, yet those with ancillary dollars to spend and an interest in the sport and its past stars are those 50 and older. Creating an event, or a series of events, that include “Old Timers” but geared toward that audience would make great sense again. It takes time to plan and execute, but that demo, especially that demo that is active, is still very well sought after by brands, and combining a feel good event like an Old Timers Day with a brand targeting baby boomers would be a win for both. Even for teams who say that it is too cost prohibitive to bring in former stars from around the country there are plenty of solutions…local legends, former MLB’ers from other teams, front office officials, coaches etc all make for great guests, great talk and great memories.
In other sports there are both good and bad in alumni programs as well. The Packers do an amazing job with their alumni, as do the Giants in the NFL. However there is not the tradition that there is in baseball, where recent retirees can still take the field and get in a few licks for an inning or two. hopefully the connection to the past is revived through Old Timers activities at parks around the country. As the population ages the opportunity grows again, and so could the sponsor dollars.
Where both sides can expand their footprint is on the digital and social side for content. While probably most of the participants don’t have a massive social platform, some of the newer entrants certainly do, and there is no doubt that the retired players have both time, and many have interest, in engaging fans who are increasingly digital savvy, and probably never had much of an opportunity to engage with stars of the past. Building those elements as platforms for engagement, especially if you want to reach a rising group of seniors and a younger audiences, is a great piece of storytelling.
Are Old Timers or Alumni games of this scale pricey? Depends on how you do it. Are they great connection points, even for minor league teams looking to draw? For sure. While they may seem quaint, there is big value there, and it’s a tradition the Yankees have not let die, and others, really all, should revive.
