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Take me out to the minors
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April 15, 1998: 7:48 p.m. ET
Farm-team ballparks are bringing in fans and boosting local economies
From Correspondent Donald Van De Mark
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NEW YORK (CNNfn) - Minor league baseball is well known as the road to major league stardom for players. But it's also a road to prosperity for many cities, as new stadiums boost local economies.
Trenton, N.J., recently built Waterfront Stadium for the Thunder, a farm team of the Boston Red Sox.
"The whole idea was to use this stadium as sort of an anchor to redevelop the waterfront," said Bob Prunetti, a Mercer County executive. "What it's done is it's changed the perception of people about coming down here, about coming to Trenton."
Now that more visitors are coming, businesses want a piece of the action. Nearly half a million people visited Waterfront Stadium last season, spending an estimated $12.5 million in and around the ball park.
The idea of using a stadium as the centerpiece for urban renewal isn't new. Baltimore's Camden Yard undertook the task. But Trenton is one of the first to try this strategy at the minor league level.
"We were able to convince the business community, as well as the political leaders, that they should build the stadium for us and if they'd build the stadium, we'd bring the franchise in, said Sam Plumeri, of the Trenton Thunder.
One reason minor league baseball is so successful is that it's a bargain compared with the cost of going to a major league game. The most expensive ticket for a Thunder game costs $8, or 40 percent less than the average major league ticket.
"Families can go at prices they can afford," said Bill Troubh, president of the Eastern League. "The seats are all great and all of that combined just makes for great entertainment."
Throw in a fun-loving mascot, some funky promotions, a packed stadium and sponsors are lining up to get in on the action.
"We've been part of the Thunder since one day five years ago, and never in our wildest dreams did we think it would be this successful," said Tom Bracken, president of Corestates, one of the Thunder's sponsors.
Ad revenue from Corestates and other sponsors helps keep ticket prices down, keeping fans in the stands and the franchise in the black.
The success of Waterfront Stadium has prompted the city of Trenton to center more urban renewal efforts around sports venues. In December, the city broke ground on a $44 million, 10,000-seat hockey and basketball arena located just blocks from the ballpark. 
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Trenton Thunder
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