By Debbie Gardner
debbieg@thereminder.com
Clark Eckhoff clearly loves baseball. Spend a little time with the lanky Midwesterner and you’ll likely get the inside scoop on some of the standout players from his years as an owner of collegiate level summer baseball teams.
Like Chicago Cubs second baseman and outfielder Ben Zobrist, who played for Eckhoff’s Northwoods League collegiate team – the Wisconsin Woodchucks – back in 2003.
“He wasn’t at a Division 1 [college], but at a Division 3,” Eckhoff recalled, thinking back to the summer that “changed his life,” according to Zobrist. Eckhoff’ said his scouts discovered the soon-to-be major league powerhouse player at a summer day exhibition game.
“He was a phenomenal talent. He got completely missed by the [Division 1] colleges. He went on to be drafted by the [Houston] Astros and then went on to be MVP of the [2016] World Series,” Eckhoff said.
During his 18 seasons as a summer league team owner – 13 in Wisconsin – Eckhoff can count a total of 24 young men who played for him that made it to “the show.”
Over the next “12 to 18 months” he told Prime he’s expecting to hear about several more young men who have played for his current collegiate team, the Valley Blue Sox, making it to the majors.
But Mackenzie Stadium in Holyoke, Massachusetts, is a long way from his native Wausau, and since purchasing the Blue Sox in 2013, running this team means the born and bred Wisconsian spends a good five months out of the year in Western Massachusetts annually.
So, what attracted him to a ballpark – and team – located in Holyoke?
In a word, potential.
“To be honest, I thought this was a good market. It was a baseball area; people really love baseball here [in Western Massachusetts.],” Eckhoff said.
He saw in Holyoke the same opportunity that drew him to get involved with the Woodchucks back in 1998 – a chance to not only have an impact on young players, but also on the community.
“Eighty percent of the fans that walk through the gate [at Mackenzie Stadium] are coming out for an affordable night out.” Eckhoff said, and from the season opener to the last playoff game, that’s what he and his Blue Sox staff try to provide.
“This is just a strong area for baseball and a strong market and an opportunity to grow the brand,” Eckhoff said “And if we are doing a job right, there’s very little difference between A [minor]-league ball and what we do.”
In his favor was a great place for his team to play ball – Mackenzie Stadium – home to the minor league Holyoke Millers from 1977 to 1982.
“What happened here in the Springfield area is what happened in Wisconsin – a lot of professional, minor-league A-level teams didn’t have the money to build a $30 to $40 million stadium,” Eckhoff said. But their old stadiums, with some improvements “were in great condition for summer collegiate baseball.”
It’s a great opportunity for fans, many of whom Eckhoff said come not only to see stellar ball but also for “the Star Wars Night [and] the free baseball hat night.” And its also great for the college ballplayers who come looking to get that extra season or two of experience before moving on in their schooling and/or athletic careers.
“We get kids from California, from Texas – they come from all over to play in this league,” Eckhoff noted. “You’re literally seeing these kids a year or two before they go into the minors.”
The New England Collegiate Baseball league – of which the Valley Blue Sox is a member team – is “a prep class for these kids,” Eckhoff said.
For baseball fans, Eckhoff said the summer play at Mackenzie Stadium is a stellar opportunity. Before the “almighty dollar” – and talk of contracts – have seduced these ballplayers, team members will happily interact with attendees. At nearly every game young fans – and their parents – “get an opportunity to get autographs, and to develop a relationship with a kid who might someday be in the major leagues,” Eckhoff said.
Team success – as measured in Eckhoff’s terms –is all about two things. The first is taking care of his players – and here the Blue Sox are blessed with a fabulous group of host families who take in the young men every summer. The second is providing quality entertainment for fans.
Beyond providing exciting ball play, Eckhoff said it’s about the promotions – “the T-shirt tosses, people really want to be entertained between innings.
“Every night we try to make [a home game] like an event of its own,” he added.
That mindset is critical to keeping fans coming back, Eckhoff said. “If you just make it about baseball, you only appeal to die-hard fans,” he observed. “Our mission is to make it about affordable entertainment for fans and for the rest of Western Massachusetts. “
So the Blue Sox offer perks like Sunday Fundays, when a family of four can get home game tickets, four hot dogs and four sodas for $30, and Thirsty Thursdays, when home game attendees 21 years of age and older get to sample a different craft beer. Then there’s special night promotions such as the July 7 Kids Eat Free night, July 9 Bark in the Park night (when canines can meet other friends in a special area of the stadium), July 12 Wally the Green Monster and July 13 Cat in the Hat nights and July 28 fireworks night. Simply put, there’s always something special going on at a Blue Sox game, and the fans love it.
Beyond the growing loyalty of Blue Sox fans, Eckhoff said he’s also grateful for the support from Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse and his city in ongoing infrastructure improvements at Mackenzie, as well as the backing from corporate sponsors such as Westfield Bank, UMass, Yankee Candle, AIC and others – that help the team make everything happen at their 22 home games each season.
And he loves being able to donate home game tickets to organizations such as the YMCA and Boys and Girls Clubs, so young people who might not otherwise get the chance to go to a live baseball game can take in the Blue Sox in action.
“I’ve sat on those [non-profit] boards, “Eckhoff said. “ I think our world has come to … there’s a lot of needs in this world … if we can provide a smile on a kid’s face, an autograph from a player … they’ve just had a great night and we’re giving [them] a vision, maybe this is something they could do … that’s the most worthwhile thing to me.”
That, and a chance to help young players with big dreams.
“I love baseball, but I was never that good to play at this level, said Eckhoff, who ran the bases in high school and for amateur leagues in his youth. “One thing that’s rewarding for me is those kids that want to make it to the majors, I’ve had those kids that come up.”
