Ahead of Friday’s ticket launch, The Hartford Yard Goats this week set dates for its annual job fair and game day promotional schedule.
The team said it will host the job fair on Saturday, Feb. 23, seeking workers to serve the minor league baseball club, vendors and the ballpark during the 2019 season, which begins in Hartford April 11.
The event at downtown Hartford’s Dunkin’ Donuts Park, 1214 Main St., is from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Yard Goats General Manager Mike Abramson said staff from the Yard Goats and their concessionaire, Professional Sports Catering, will be on hand to speak with and receive applications from all job-seekers.
Combined, the two organizations will staff an average of 300 positions that include: ushers, ticket takers, box-office personnel, merchandising, housekeeping, grounds crew, concessions, kitchen personnel, and catering.
The Yard Goats are the Double-A Eastern League affiliate of the Colorado Rockies. This will mark the club’s third season in Hartford.
Promo schedule unveiled
The team, known for its humorous and innovative marketing strategies, held an event Wednesday night to roll out its 2019 promotional schedule at Dunkin’ Donuts Park, the minor league division’s best ballpark, according to Ballpark Digest.
The list of promotions include 24 post-game firework shows, “Star Wars Weekend,” and numerous hat, magnet, calendar, bobblehead, jersey and baseball card giveaways.
The Yard Goats will again play games under different team nicknames on “What If Night” as The Hartford River Hogs (a finalist in its name-the-team-contest), Los Chivos de Hartford (which translates from Spanish to “the Goats of Hartford”), and the Hartford Steamed Cheeseburgers (a nod to the Meriden inventor of steamed cheeseburgers, Ted’s Restaurant).
The club is also paying homage to former NHL franchise the Hartford Whalers during its third annual Whalers Alumni Weekend from July 12 to July 14. During three games, the team will don hockey-style uniforms and several former players will participate in a slate events at the ballpark.
Many community programs will also be promoted during several games including: Strike Out Cancer Night; Pink the Park; Pride Night; Power of Ability Night; and Military Appreciation Night.
In April, Dunkin’ Donuts Park will also become the nation’s first peanut-free sports venue, according to team officials. Peanuts and Cracker Jack will no longer be sold at the stadium, they said, to make the venue more accessible to those with peanut and tree nut allergies.
View the team’s promotional schedule here.
Tickets for individual games at Dunkin’ Donuts Park go on sale Friday.
As baseball season nears, the name of Hartford’s ballpark remains uncertain.
Dunkin’ Donuts has dropped “Donuts” from ads, packages, signage, at remodeled stores and on social media, but the Yard Goats have not yet announced whether it will rebrand its ballpark.
