SAN FRANCISCO, CA and ST. PETERSBURG, FL--(Marketwired - July 26, 2016) - As the second half of the season gets underway, Minor League Baseball (MiLB) and Esurance today unveiled the first annual Esurance Home Field Advantage Award. The new award honors the communities who best support their hometown MiLB clubs. One Minor League Baseball team in each of the 14 leagues will receive the Esurance Home Field Advantage Award based on the highest percentage capacity of the ballpark during the 2016 season.
The winning teams will be announced in September, and honored at the 2016 Baseball Winter Meetings™ in National Harbor, Maryland, this December. A celebration for the hometown fans of each winning team will also take place at their respective ballparks at the start of the 2017 season.
"Our Minor League Baseball partnership offers us the opportunity to reach a very large, passionate and engaged audience (over 42 million fans in 160 communities) while making them aware that Esurance is a smart choice for home and auto insurance in today's modern world," said Cyndie Beckwith, Vice President, Marketing at Esurance. "With the Home Field Advantage Award we wanted to recognize the important role fans play in baseball and providing a home-like environment for their local teams."
Fans are encouraged to continue to support their hometown team in this friendly competition among leagues by attending games in the home stretch of the regular season. To encourage fan attendance, team calendars are packed with fun-filled events such as fireworks and back-to-school nights, Labor Day celebrations and fan appreciation events. Each team posts its promotional calendar on its official website, which can be accessed by visiting MiLB.com.
"Fans are the backbone of Minor League Baseball, and their support is what has contributed to our outstanding attendance numbers over the years," said David Wright, Chief Marketing & Commercial Officer for Minor League Baseball. "We recognize the importance of each team within its community and the integral role the fans play in the teams' success. This award will recognize not only individual teams, but their fans as well."
Last month, Esurance and Minor League Baseball announced a strategic multi-year partnership making it the exclusive home and auto insurance partner of Minor League Baseball. To learn more about Esurance's Call-Up Worthy campaign with Minor League Baseball, visit www.MiLB.com/CallUpWorthy.
About Minor League Baseball
Minor League Baseball, headquartered in St. Petersburg, Florida, is the governing body for all professional baseball teams in the United States, Canada, and the Dominican Republic that are affiliated with Major League Baseball® clubs through their farm systems. Fans are coming out in unprecedented numbers to this one-of-a-kind experience that can only be found at Minor League Baseball ballparks. In 2015, Minor League Baseball attracted 42.5 million fans to its ballparks to see the future stars of the sport hone their skills. From the electricity in the stands to the excitement on the field, Minor League Baseball has provided affordable family-friendly entertainment to people of all ages since its founding in 1901. For more information, visit www.MiLB.com.
Follow Minor League Baseball on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
About Esurance®
Esurance, insurance for the modern world®, provides auto, homeowners, motorcycle, and renters insurance direct to consumers online, over the phone, and through select agents. With an easy-to-use mobile app, helpful online tools like photo claims and Coverage Counselor®, and knowledgeable experts available around the clock, Esurance is the smart choice for today's web-savvy consumer. And as a member of the Allstate family with an A+ rating from A.M. Best, Esurance offers auto and home insurance anytime with service just a click, call, or tap away. For more information, visit esurance.com or call 1-800-ESURANCE (1-800-378-7262).
Follow Esurance on the Esurance Blog, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.
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Contact Information:
Media Contacts
Mary Marandi
Minor League Baseball
415-875-4722
