Reviewing 2008 with GM Randy Whitaker
1.) You have been ‘in office’ for almost a year, what is the most important lesson you learned?
Stop worrying and have fun. Sometimes it is better to go with instincts and have fun rather than try to fight it out. Then it turned out the more I relaxed, the more everyone else did as well. Don’t know which came first, but it doesn’t really matter.
2.) What are some of the pre-season goals you/front office were able to accomplish this season? What are you most proud of?
Learn and grow. That didn’t necessarily mean to take the lead right out of the gate, but to always be moving forward. A goal like that is kind of hard to measure, but I think we achieved it. Still a lot of work to do though. And most proud: I’m still here.
3.) Back in February, during our first interview you said “It is all about marketing”. How well do you feel the team was marketed this season? What areas do you feel the marketing can be improved?
In the long term, I think marketing kicked in. But we got off to a late start. The Senators brand had declined over the last few years. That is something that can’t be reversed quickly. But I think it’s moving in the right direction now. What is key now is to keep it moving forward.
4.) Attendance issues have been widely publicized all season. Harrisburg finished in last place in the EL with just over 164K; all other teams in the league were over 200K. In reality, how big of an issue was attendance for the owners and front office? What plans are being made to improve the attendance in 2009?
I could go into a deep technical analysis of real vs. announced attendance and history vs. this season – but the public perception is what it is. Would we have liked to put up better “announced numbers?” Absolutely. But we made progress as the season advanced. By the last one-third of the season our “people in the park” was actually up nearly 25% over the same dates last year. That’s pretty significant. You won’t read about it in the newspaper though.
5.) Also in our first interview I asked you, after the season was over and you had time to reflect on it, what do you hope to have accomplished? You said that you were planning on “maximizing the fan experience” in the final year of the current stadium. Looking back at the season do you feel you were able to maximize the experience for the fans and how?
Nope. Not even close. But I understand a lot better what it will take and what “maximization” will look like. An improved facility – whatever shape it may take – will help accomplish that from day one next year. But even if we have the exact same facility, I know what steps we want to take to improve the experience and make an immediate difference.
6.) Speaking of the stadium, are there any updates you can offer to the fans regarding stadium renovations or upgrades that you hope will be completed for the 2009 season?
Not yet, but every day brings us closer to the brass ring.
7.) Just so everyone is on the same page, is there a possibility of no changes being made to Commerce Bank Park Stadium for the 2009 season?
That would be unlikely, but since I am a long time Senators fan that will “believe it when I see it,” that is always a possibility.
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