Minor League Jerseys

[hjwii]

As usual, I have a question, but no answer...

Why do so many minor league baseball teams not sell their jerseys, whether authentic or replica?

Now, I took some marketing in college and some retail, not enough to make me any kind of expert, but enough to at least ponder why teams don't do this. I figure it would increase name recognition and there would have to be some merchandising revenue. Afterall, the real fans will spend $65-150 for a jersey; and if you have one of those logos/wordmarks that everyone loves, they too will spend the money... like the Portland Beavers an their new jerseys. Last time I looked (and the Portland site actually loaded for me and didn't close my browser...is it just me?), they were not offering the jerseys for sale. And, after reading the boards, there were several pages of comments on how great the new unis were and how everyone would love to get one.

Anyways, my point is, in todays world where we can see, hear, follow teams via the internet and satellite TV etc etc, it would seem that all these teams, large and small, would be selling anything and everything with their brand on it...

So, again, tell me why so many teams do not sell their jerseys?

hjwii

[Gothamite]

I don't know.

Bugs the heck out of me. I've been trying to buy a Burlington Bees jersey for about a year and a half now, since they revamped their logo.

The Beavers will be selling home and alt jerseys soon. I don't know when (nor do I know why they're not selling the roads), but they will be available eventually. I'm one of those who said he would buy one.

And FWIW, the Beavers site seems to be working fine for me....

[TBGKon]

Your best bet would be to contact the teams directly, they might have them on site and would be willing to assist you in your interests.

[dfwabel]

I don't think that the demand for most of the teams is there to justify the cost of production and inventory.

[hjwii]

The cost of production would be an interesting factor. The use of computers and machines has certainly had a factor on the cost (for example, when I was in school 20 years ago, we wanted to get some shirts embroidered with a logo and a couple of colors, but it was just too expensive; last year I ordered a small number (12) of shirts with an embroidered logo, and the cost was about $150... the fact that the art work was all done on a computer and the machines are all run by computers must have an impact on cost)...

As for inventory, I can see that being a factor for the smaller teams... afterall, how many jerseys could the Missoula Ospreys sell?

[ElwoodCuse]

I don't think that the demand for most of the teams is there to justify the cost of production and inventory.

The Myrtle Beach Pelicans always had a TON of authentic stuff at their stadium, I couldn't believe it. Home, away, 3rd, BP, you name it. It was pricey but it was well-stocked.

AHL jerseys really frustrate me. The AHL Store has replicas for $115 and won't customize them, whoopee. A lot of the teams don't sell or customize online, either.

[oakland ehs]

Order a blank and get it customized locally. Any decent place should be able to match the fonts perfectly.

[BallWonk]

If the Cedar Rapids Kernels can "afford" to stock jerseys, I just don't see how any team above short-season has any excuse on this front. But that's the fan in me speaking.

The business manager in me wonders why more minor-league teams aren't working harder to make their identities available for use by youth-league teams. You know, I like the Padres just fine, but the truth is that no kid at any level who does not live in Southern California wants to play for the Padres. Any kid would rather play for the Nuts or the Biscuits or the Mud Hens or the Threshers or the Ghosts. Now, the youth-team market doesn't need your actual game jerseys and game caps; in most cases they need a slightly simplified version of each, just as they do with the MLB team identities most youth leagues use. But I can vouch from experience that if the kids are wearing a purple cap with a simplified Devil Rays logo and purple shirts with "Devil Rays" in white block letters, the parents are gonna want to buy authentic Devil Rays caps and jerseys. So having the authentic merch available, including jerseys, would be an important component of building this revenue stream.

[gosioux76]

First off, I've had the exact same problem with the Portland Beavers site. It shuts my browser down every time.

As to your question, i have a theory. I've learned in my nearly four-years in a AAA town (Albuquerque) that I, and many other sports fans here, enjoy the Isotopes as an event to go see -- like a movie -- rather than as a true fan experience. It's hard to pull too hard for a team when the roster changes weekly and you know the best players on the team could be gone in a day.

That's not to say it isn't enjoyable. It's just hard -- for me anyway -- to get too attached to the franchise, and therefore want to spend a load of money on a team jersey. Perhaps for that reason there isn't a huge market for jerseys.

But that's just a theory.

Also, many minor league teams are in mid- to small markets, so they advertise themselves as low-cost entertainment options. Selling jerseys at $65 and up might not fall into their idea of low-cost fun.

[Gothamite]

I understand that, but it doesn't make much sense that they don't also target the serious fan. Especially a AAA club in a metro area of 2.3 million.

Your best bet would be to contact the teams directly, they might have them on site and would be willing to assist you in your interests.

Yeah, you'd think. But it doesn't really work that way.

The team itself doesn't want to bother with it - what equipment manager wants to deal with shipping, or collecting payment? That's why they have merchandising people. And the merchandising people don't want to step outside their own regular procedures.

I've also inquired about a Casper Ghosts jersey - they have said that they will eventually be selling them online (road only for some reason, the exact opposite of the Beavers who intend to sell home and alt but not road.)

I bet the stuff is available at most of these parks, but the teams in which I'm really interested are located a bit off my commute.

The Beavers do have a track record here, though - before the re-design, they did sell home jerseys on their stadium's online store. The smaller clubs - the ones who don't maintain their own web presence, relying only on MiLB.com - those are the ones who never have more than caps and t-shirts available online.

[BallWonk]

The Beavers do have a track record here, though - before the re-design, they did sell home jerseys on their stadium's online store. The smaller clubs - the ones who don't maintain their own web presence, relying only on MiLB.com - those are the ones who never have more than caps and t-shirts available online.

Here is where "call the team" might be useful advice. A few years back, I had some success calling the non-web-integrated team stores of a couple of minor-league teams and getting stuff sent to me. But it only works if the team has a team store somewhere in the ballpark for you to call. Got a Helena Brewers cap, for example, that was not offered for sale online at the time.

[dfwabel]

I don't think that the demand for most of the teams is there to justify the cost of production and inventory.

The Myrtle Beach Pelicans always had a TON of authentic stuff at their stadium, I couldn't believe it. Home, away, 3rd, BP, you name it. It was pricey but it was well-stocked.

AHL jerseys really frustrate me. The AHL Store has replicas for $115 and won't customize them, whoopee. A lot of the teams don't sell or customize online, either.

Pricey and well stocked. Were fans wearing any? If it is just staying in the team store, then it is not worth the effort.

[hjwii]

First off, I've had the exact same problem with the Portland Beavers site. It shuts my browser down every time.

AHA...I knew it... west coast conspiracies....

As to your question, i have a theory. I've learned in my nearly four-years in a AAA town (Albuquerque) that I, and many other sports fans here, enjoy the Isotopes as an event to go see -- like a movie -- rather than as a true fan experience. It's hard to pull too hard for a team when the roster changes weekly and you know the best players on the team could be gone in a day.

Also, many minor league teams are in mid- to small markets, so they advertise themselves as low-cost entertainment options. Selling jerseys at $65 and up might not fall into their idea of low-cost fun.

I'm going to respectively disagree with you there, at least based on my experience, limited as it may be. I was lucky enough to work one year in minor league ball (Wilmington Blue Rocks). That team seemed to be everything to that city. Yes, they had their share of stars (Johnny Damon was there), but that town just loved the Blue Rocks. Granted, there's not much else to do in Wilmington, so the team did have the community's full attention. And they could not keep enough merchandise on the shelves in their lil shop, whether it was the $100 jerseys, the pink sweats for the girls, the blue moose mascot dolls or even the shot glasses. And on any given day, the store was sending out several parcels and boxes of merchandise (as this was before the team even had a website, I believe - 1994). The team promoted itself, not the guys on the field... and it worked.

This is one reason why you see so many changes in minor league names and logos. They are in search of that brand/moniker/logo that EVERYONE wants, not just the metro area where they play. I live in New Orleans, so I follow the PCL's Zephyrs (yep, got a jersey). The Toledo MudHens mean nothing to me...couldn't name a player on the team nor an alumnus right off. But, I like their logo and their jersey, so I bought one. Today, I saw a S.Maryland Blue Crab jersey here on the site. Again, I have no idea who is on the team or what league they play in, but I might buy a jersey if it were available. Why? Not because of a player or past player, but because it's a cool jersey...

(oh, and you;re right, sometimes it is hard to plop down $75 on a shirt...)

Anyways, my two cents worth...

[McCall]

Well I run the Springfield Cardinals Team Store, so I'm somewhat of an insider. We've had our Authentic Home and Road jerseys, as well as a Button-Up and Pullover version of the Mesh BP/Alternate jerseys since the day we opened 3 years ago (though, found out today, they're getting a new BP jersey.) We also carry Replica Home jerseys, as well as Replica Pujols, Carpenter, and blank St. Louis jerseys, plus our replicas in Youth and Ladies, and a Pink Ladies. Our authentic home/away are $141.00 w/tax, the mesh BP's are $70.00, and our Replica jersey is $105.00.

[darkshadow1031]

Kind of off topic but I have a funny personal story regarding minor league jerseys ?

When I was working as a clubhouse attendant, every now and then we would get in a crunch when a new player was coming in on short notice. Once we had a player who wore a specific, very high number in honor of someone in his family who had recently passed. So we just called upstairs to the team shop and got a home, road, and bp jersey then sent it out to get numbered (no last names). Same thing with the hats, the orders for the clubhouse was also for the team shop and we would regularly raid each other?s supply when needed. That seems to be how the minor league business works.

[Arts11]

having an authentic minor league jersey would be cool, but i don't think enough ppl would want one for a team to justify making them available.

[RyanB06]

I have authentic roadies for each of the Red Sox 2006 minor league affiliates for Lowell, Greenville, Portland, and Pawtucket. They are out there. You just need to know where to look.

[sacker12]

I still remember when the Barons were still selling replicas of Michael Jordan's game jersey.

[cranium]

I think that it is just a matter of buying one at the stadium. I bet teams just don't want to hassle with the internet, returns, out of state tax exemptions etc. I visit my in-laws every summer in Lexington, Ky. and we usually go to a Legends (name I hate) game. Their giftshop has plenty of jerseys, and they are single A. Just call the giftshop directly on game days on try to order one over the phone.

[dfwabel]

I still remember when the Barons were still selling replicas of Michael Jordan's game jersey.

Exactly, there was a kitch to have it, so they produced it. Now, going back to the OP, he is in New Orleans, a AAA city. While it could be successful in a AAA city, the lover teams don't have the season ticket base to know tht the product will sell. Many are just depending on "Thirsty Thursday" to make ends meet.

I spent two summers working in minor league baseball in the mid-1990's. The staffs are small and people (plus interns) do much more than you know. 18 hour days during homestands are not that much fun, thus why I got out. This was after I was paid by the MLB team and the affiliate. Plus, it was in St. Pete, where the Minor League licensing office is kept. It was lso in Al Lang Stadium (then), but I have no clue on what they actually do.