How Long Do The CounterClocks Stay In Lexington?

[lakercat]

I was at the Counter Clocks game tonight, where they lost 8-5 to move to 7-3. However, there were maybe 150-200 people at the game. The GA area was completely empty, and the parking lot was less busy than the Dollar store next door. People despise the name; it's no longer an MLB affiliate. I know that there will be 1,000 kids tomorrow at the 10:15 start. I have been to Legends games, and there always at least 500-1,000 people. Will this franchise last in Lexington?

 

[Big_Blue_1018]

Thats an interesting question. I give them 2-3 years. With a new ownership group and the new stadium upgrades, they wont fold after a year. But I think losing the MLB affiliate ultimately will doom them. I know Florence has had their team for years but I wonder how much they pull from Cincinnati in terms of fans and attendance. I think Lexington and Central Kentucky enjoy baseball, but I dont know if the support is enough to sustain a non-MLB team.

 

[H-D cat]

They have a lot of catching up to do from the last few years they were the Legends. The stadium fell into disrepair, the atmosphere was stale, the food was awful, and going to the games just wasn't fun anymore. They are going to have to get creative to get people out the park. I don't know that people ultimately care about affiliation or the silly name if the experience is good. I'm pulling for them but don't have overly high hopes.

 

[KYExtemper]

When they lost MLB affiliation that was it. You can thank Rob Manfred for that dumb idea of taking the sports out of various markets and thinking that was okay. Independent baseball is tough to keep going and Lexington doesn't have a good history of supporting unaffiliated products (e.g. the arena football club years back in Rupp Arena). It was easy for me to see the last few years how a lot of the old promotions between innings and such vanished. As others said, it just wasn't fun anymore.

I didn't understand the name change. It was a local icon and while it had fallen on hard times, the rebrand was not warranted. It just brought some hard feelings and resentment. And rightfully or wrongfully, name changes today are basically considered "woke" so while ownership wasn't doing that with the Legends name, it probably alienated people's views of the new ownership group.

I don't see the team relocating, though. I think it either succeeds or folds. One thing they do have going for them is that they can enjoy the revenue from parking, concessions, etc. whereas other teams that played in Rupp weren't able to get all of that money.

 

[Derek Terry]

I don't know that people ultimately care about affiliation or the silly name if the experience is good.

I think there's some truth with that for baseball. My wife and some of my friends aren't necessarily what you'd consider baseball fans, but they enjoy the experience of being at a baseball game much more than watching on television. I think that's true for a broader audience.

For me personally, I've not had an interest in going back since they lost affiliation. I know the odds of making it to the bigs were low for most of the players who came through there, but it was still cool to watch top prospects or get to see guys like Jose Altuve, Bubba Starling, Khalil Lee, Adalberto Mondesi, etc. Triston Casas, first baseman for the Red Sox now, played against the Legends in the last game I saw in 2019. Just not having that possibility made me lose interest.

 

[lakercat]

When they lost MLB affiliation that was it. You can thank Rob Manfred for that dumb idea of taking the sports out of various markets and thinking that was okay. Independent baseball is tough to keep going and Lexington doesn't have a good history of supporting unaffiliated products (e.g. the arena football club years back in Rupp Arena). It was easy for me to see the last few years how a lot of the old promotions between innings and such vanished. As others said, it just wasn't fun anymore.

I didn't understand the name change. It was a local icon and while it had fallen on hard times, the rebrand was not warranted. It just brought some hard feelings and resentment. And rightfully or wrongfully, name changes today are basically considered "woke" so while ownership wasn't doing that with the Legends name, it probably alienated people's views of the new ownership group.

I don't see the team relocating, though. I think it either succeeds or folds. One thing they do have going for them is that they can enjoy the revenue from parking, concessions, etc. whereas other teams that played in Rupp weren't able to get all of that money.

They had something going on between every inning. The National Anthem was awful. Stadium is much better than it was. It was $3 beer night, so some dudes got drunk and loud; there was some entertainment in that.

 

[KYExtemper]

They had something going on between every inning. The National Anthem was awful. Stadium is much better than it was. It was $3 beer night, so some dudes got drunk and loud; there was some entertainment in that.

Glad to hear about a few of those things. I was just referencing going to games the last 2 years post-affiliation.

 

[lakercat]

Glad to hear about a few of those things. I was just referencing going to games the last 2 years post-affiliation.

Oh yeah, the stadium had gotten nasty. There have been some improvements, for sure, although I hate hate hate Astroturf in baseball

 

[Big_Blue_1018]

I think there's some truth with that for baseball. My wife and some of my friends aren't necessarily what you'd consider baseball fans, but they enjoy the experience of being at a baseball game much more than watching on television. I think that's true for a broader audience.

For me personally, I've not had an interest in going back since they lost affiliation. I know the odds of making it to the bigs were low for most of the players who came through there, but it was still cool to watch top prospects or get to see guys like Jose Altuve, Bubba Starling, Khalil Lee, Adalberto Mondesi, etc. Triston Casas, first baseman for the Red Sox now, played against the Legends in the last game I saw in 2019. Just not having that possibility made me lose interest.

Im a huge baseball fan but this is where I am. I went to a couple of games since they lost the affiliation but thats about it. Seeing the former UK guys was the draw but even that wasnt really enough to keep my interest. I just don't see an independent team surviving in Lexington.

 

[trueblujr2]

When they lost MLB affiliation that was it. You can thank Rob Manfred for that dumb idea of taking the sports out of various markets and thinking that was okay. Independent baseball is tough to keep going and Lexington doesn't have a good history of supporting unaffiliated products (e.g. the arena football club years back in Rupp Arena). It was easy for me to see the last few years how a lot of the old promotions between innings and such vanished. As others said, it just wasn't fun anymore.

I didn't understand the name change. It was a local icon and while it had fallen on hard times, the rebrand was not warranted. It just brought some hard feelings and resentment. And rightfully or wrongfully, name changes today are basically considered "woke" so while ownership wasn't doing that with the Legends name, it probably alienated people's views of the new ownership group.

I don't see the team relocating, though. I think it either succeeds or folds. One thing they do have going for them is that they can enjoy the revenue from parking, concessions, etc. whereas other teams that played in Rupp weren't able to get all of that money.

Wasn't Brandon Phillips a part owner/player for the legends a couple of years ago? Is that still the case? Does he still have Ownership interest in the team?

 

[KYExtemper]

Wasn't Brandon Phillips a part owner/player for the legends a couple of years ago? Is that still the case? Does he still have Ownership interest in the team?

He was but I don't believe that he is anymore. Based on how the team was falling apart, I don't think his ownership was a success at all. It just got his brother a gig managing the team and allowed Brandon to hit at the top of the order even though his production didn't warrant it.

It's a shame that Lexington is so far away from the Reds Single A opponents because having the Reds minor league team in Lexington would make a lot of sense otherwise. MLB is going to want to expand at some point and Lexington MIGHT get chosen as an affiliate in that cycle but I doubt that too.

 

[maysvilleky]

He was but I don't believe that he is anymore. Based on how the team was falling apart, I don't think his ownership was a success at all. It just got his brother a gig managing the team and allowed Brandon to hit at the top of the order even though his production didn't warrant it.

It's a shame that Lexington is so far away from the Reds Single A opponents because having the Reds minor league team in Lexington would make a lot of sense otherwise. MLB is going to want to expand at some point and Lexington MIGHT get chosen as an affiliate in that cycle but I doubt that too.

They just cut several teams. Doubt they are looking to expand.

 

[KYExtemper]

They just cut several teams. Doubt they are looking to expand.

Mlb is definitely lookimg to get to 32 teams at some point in the next 5 years. Nashville will be in the hunt for a team so that COULD open the door for a new affiliation.

 

[CB3UK]

The obvious way to get people around here to care is to tie them into the Reds, and that obviously isn't going to happen.

You've got to promote the team big time. Commercials and ads. Make it THE thing to do like the Legends did in their formative years.


Once the Royals took them over the experience dropped. Astros gave a shit about putting money into the Legends.

The new name for the team is dumb as shit. Fix it. Look down the road to BG. The Hot Rods games are a damned good time and always a good crowd on hand. Rays affiliate.

 

[maysvilleky]

They need to use the Banana’s as an example of what they need to do.