Round Rock Express Gears Up For Another Season
There’s enough buzz at the Dell Diamond to empower even the most fair weather fan bases. And that’s before the ballpark lights are even turned on for the season.
For what it’s worth, the Round Rock Express are aboard an entirely new train of thought this season when it comes to talent and giving the fans something different.
“We went from the bottom of the barrel to the top in the organization,” Larry Little, director of communications says.
The Express are on track for big things this season, on the field and off it. Multiple improvements point to why the Round Rock Express are excited about 2011, which include switching affiliations from the Houston Astros to the American League Champion Texas Rangers. This season there will be post-game concerts for the fans, the club boasts new facilities, and the team even has a new logo.
Little says the organization is now under the same umbrella of ownership and everyone involved can feel the excitement stirring. “Clearly with us being affiliated with the Texas Rangers, it means we’re going to catch the benefits of that,” he said.
The Texas Rangers’ minor-league system ranked No. 1 by Baseball America in April of 2010 after sitting at No. 4 a year ago. Houston’s been dead-last 30th both years. And the ball club is getting back into the swing of winning after coming off the heals of a disappointing season last year. Round Rock and its fans are used to winning.
The team had winning seasons six of its first seven years and won the Texas League title in 2000 and the Pacific Coast League American Conference in 2006 before three consecutive losing seasons. The Express continue to be the top professional sports draw in the Austin market, pulling in an average of 8,408 to Dell Diamond in 2010. That’s about 15 percent less than the record daily average of 9,846 fans per game in 2004, according to the Austin Business Journal. In addition to improving the talent pool for the Round Rock Express, the front office moves made some significant upgrades as well.
Beginning in May and ending in August, one concert per month will be held on The Dell Diamond’s newly constructed concert stage just beyond centerfield. The post-game concert series will include four performing artists — Asleep at the Wheel on May 28, Jack Ingram on June 18, Lou Gramm on July 2 and Jonathan Tyler & the Northern Lights on Aug. 6. Each concert begins approximately 30 minutes after the conclusion of that night’s Express game, which will all have a special 6:05 p.m. start time.
Fans will be allowed to go onto the field to watch the concert as well, adding a new dynamic to a night out at the ballpark. Tickets for the Express games on these nights also are good for the post-game concerts.
“This is another added value for season ticket holders and suite holders,” Express President Dave Fendrick said in an issued statement. “We appreciate the support from St. David’s Round Rock and Dell, two of our best partners, who have stepped up to create a really unique partnership for our fans this summer.”
Executive Vice President J.J. Gottsch said this concert series is a natural fit for The Dell Diamond. “We are very excited to announce the summer concert series here at The Dell Diamond,” Gottsch said. “With the proximity of our stadium to Austin, the Live Music Capital of the World, we thought it would be only natural to bring some of that live music talent to the ballpark.”
Round Rock Express fans say it’s just what the sport needs.
“I love baseball, but I love it even more now,” Larissa Sanders says. “It’s tough to beat a night of baseball topped with a Jack Ingram concert! Those are win-win games for me.”
Though the team endured a challenging season in 2010 the Express are expecting some immediate help. The team won’t know for certain until training camp gets underway but a few familiar faces will likely be returning to hit the diamond this year and pick up where they left off. Former University of Texas Longhorn catcher Taylor Teagarden is being talked about by a lot of managers and coaching staff. Chris Davis is also expected to make a significant impact.
At any given time, there will be 8-12 guys on the Express that could be on starting lineup in the majors, Little said. “Chris Davis could start on 10-15 teams. The fortunate thing for the Rangers is they have so much depth from top to bottom so the Rangers don’t really have a spot open.” And that just means Express fans are able to to see some major league action at the Triple-A level for a little longer.
Speaking of MLB, the Rangers are coming into town for an exhibition game on March 30, which will be there first game since the world series. “It will be an unbelieveble night at the ballpark to say the least,” Little said.
