Who are the Dayton Dragons?
The Dayton Dragons are the Midwest League affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds. Each year, they play a 140-game schedule including 70 home games at beautiful Fifth Third Field in downtown Dayton. The Dragons began play in 2000 and are currently operating in their 13th season. Dragons games are known for high-quality family entertainment featuring the Dragons mascots Heater and Gem and the Green Team, who orchestrate the skits, contests, and sing-a-longs at the ballpark. Here are a few facts about the Dayton Dragons:
The Dragons entered the 2012 season with an 844 consecutive game sell-out streak at Fifth Third Field (every game in their 12-year history). This is the longest sell-out streak in professional sports history. The streak has remained alive through the first month of the 2012 season.
The Dragons have led all of Single-A baseball in attendance for each of their 12 seasons of operation.
The Dragons were honored by the Midwest League with the John H. Johnson President’s Award for Franchise Excellence in 2011. Ballpark Digest also named the Dragons the 2011 Minor League Baseball “Organization of the Year.”
In 2012, the Dragons were selected as one of five finalists for the prestigious Sports Business Journal Professional Sports Team of the Year Award. The Dragons are joined as finalists by the Texas Rangers (MLB), Boston Bruins (NHL), Stewart-Haas Racing (NASCAR), and Sporting Kansas City (MLS). The Dragons are the first minor league team from any sport to be selected as a finalist for the award, which is in its fifth year of existence. The winner will be announced at a ceremony on May 23, 2012 at the New York Marriott Marquis at Times Square.
The Dragons set the all-time Single-A record for single season attendance in 2010 with a total of 597,433 (8,535 per game).
Fifth Third Field was selected in 2009 as the seventh best ballpark in all of Minor League Baseball by Baseball America.
The Dragons are owned by Mandalay Baseball, former NBA great Magic Johnson, and two-time Heisman Trophy winner Archie Griffin.
The Dragons were featured in a 2007 Sports Illustrated article detailing the “10 Hottest Tickets in Sports.” The Dragons were number 10 on the list, joined by such teams as the Washington Redskins, Duke University Basketball, and the Detroit Red Wings.
The Dragons are a three-time winner of the nationally-prestigious PRISM Award (they are the only team to win it more than once). This award is presented to one minor league team in all of sports each year based on excellence in five categories of sports franchise management: strategic mission, innovative marketing, community relations, customer service and employee relations. The Dragons were the first team to be inducted into the PRISM Hall-of-Fame and were retired from winning the award by the sponsor.
Dragons President Robert Murphy, who has guided the organization since its inception, was the 2005 winner of the Sporting News Minor League Baseball Executive of the Year Award. In March 2007, Murphy spoke to a House Subcommittee hearing inWashington,DC, on stadiums as economic development tools. Murphy also won the 2011 Midwest League Executive of the Year award.
A total of 52 former Dragons players have advanced to the Major Leagues including Adam Dunn, Austin Kearns, Edwin Encarnacion, Joey Votto, Jay Bruce, Johnny Cueto, Homer Bailey, Chris Dickerson, Ryan Hanigan, Adam Rosales, Paul Janish, Chris Heisey, Jordan Smith, Travis Wood, and Chris Valaika.
The Dragons have contributed to the efforts of the Make-A-Wish Foundation, the Dayton Urban League, a work-study program with the Patterson Career Academy, initiatives by the City of Daytonand Metro Parks, many elementary and middle schools, internship initiative with the Ace Program, the United Way, the Mary Beall fund, provided visits to hospitals by players, hosted underprivileged children at games and participated in many other types of charitable efforts.
Tom Nichols | Dir. Media Relations & Broadcasting
Dayton Dragons Professional Baseball Team
Fifth Third Field | 220 N. Patterson Blvd. | Dayton,OH45402
Office: (937) 228-2287 ext. 140 | Fax: (937) 228-2284 | Web: daytondragons.com
DRAGONSBASEBALL
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Trafton Eutsler | Corporate Marketing Manager
Dayton Dragons Professional Baseball Team
Fifth Third Field | 220 N. Patterson Blvd. | Dayton,OH45402
Office: (937) 228-2287 ext. 117 | Fax: (937) 228-2284 | Web: daytondragons.com
DRAGONSBASEBALL
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