The OKC Dodgers provide memory-making moments for the Oklahoma City community
The Oklahoma City Dodgers have been our city’s favorite baseball team since 2015, bringing excitement and classic American entertainment to the downtown Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark. Yet, many Oklahoma Citians have been fans of local baseball for far longer.
Triple-A baseball (the highest level of minor league baseball) began in Oklahoma City with the 89-ers in 1962, and over the years, five different major league teams have claimed OKC as their Triple-A home. Our team was acquired by Mandalay Baseball, LLC, when their name changed from the RedHawks to the Dodgers about seven years ago.
“There’s now a clear and obvious connection between the players’ goal here in Oklahoma City to get to Los Angeles. The Dodgers brand itself, is internationally known, and there is a lot of passion for all things Dodgers. Many people have moved from California to Oklahoma over the years, so the team is a taste of home for them. It’s really a great brand for our city to be a part of,” said the team’s president Michael Byrnes, who has been with the franchise since the fall of 2010.
Byrnes comes from a family of sports enthusiasts, realizing that he could make a career out of the sports industry in college. His brother, Brian Byrnes, followed a similar path and is now the Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing at the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Michael noted, “This is my 19th year in baseball. It’s still fun to come to the ballpark every day. We have all the challenges that any other business does, but our product is baseball and making memories. There are few better things in life than going to the ballpark with your family, grabbing a hot dog and enjoying the game. When people visit the ballpark, they aren’t often sitting still.”
Events of the past two years have not made the management of a baseball enterprise easy, but the Dodgers staff has made meaningful efforts to ensure long-term success of the team. Oklahoma City residents and fans have also helped relieve some of the pressure. “We are really thankful and lucky that so many of our fans stuck with us throughout the challenges created by the pandemic. It wasn’t until the end of June of 2020 that we knew we wouldn’t have a season, and we had 90% of our season ticket holders roll over their tickets to 2021,” shared Byrnes. Though 2020 is behind us and things are a lot livelier at the ballpark, the team is still catching up on lost sales from 18 months without games.
In some ways, the challenges of last year have made this season more exciting than ever. Because the 2021 season didn’t start until May, and 10 additional games were added to the schedule, the OKC Dodgers will be playing until October 3rd. As the season begins to wrap up, the team has plans to keep momentum and energy high. “We’ll be sharing special appreciations during the final games of the season, and in late September we bring back our alternate persona, Cielo Azul. During this time, the team wears different uniforms, and the music is different. It creates an environment that recognizes and celebrates our Latino community in Oklahoma City, who represent a generous percentage of our fans and supporters,” shared Byrnes.
On September 4th, for those who want to reminisce on the days of the 89ers team, there will be a special 89ers night. About a month ago, they Dodgers hosted their first one, which had a great response from the community. “People that grew up with OKC baseball games were in love with seeing the old jerseys on this throwback evening,” said Byrnes. “Anytime we can activate the ballpark, it’s a great thing for our community.”
In comparison to cities that are home to Major League Baseball teams, we may have a leg up here in Oklahoma City with the Dodgers. According to Byrnes, “There’s a sense of local community with being in the minor league. Major League baseball is SO BIG, and when I consider the best things about minor league baseball, I think about access -- the ability to meet players and have those memorable moments that can happen at the ballpark -- and it wouldn’t necessarily be the case if we had a Major League team.”
There are several approaches in which the OKC Dodgers choose to connect with the broader community. One of the simple, yet incredibly special ways is through the messages and greetings posted across the scoreboard during games. In 30 characters or less, anyone can request the display of their message during a Dodgers game, a fun way to say “happy birthday,” “happy anniversary,” “welcome to the city,” or even “will you marry me?”
Beyond the ballpark, the OKC Dodgers make waves in the community through a separate 501(c)(3) entity, The OKC Dodgers Baseball Foundation. They are funded, largely, through the 50/50 raffles hosted at each home game, which may go farther than you’d expect. In 2019, they raised $105,000 through raffle sales. One of the major initiatives of the foundation is the Community Night Out program, which provides families who may not otherwise be able to attend a professional sporting event the opportunity to watch and enjoy a Dodgers game.
One additional avenue of positive impact that the Dodgers have created in our community is in collaboration with the Oklahoma City Parks and Recreation. The OKC Dodgers Rookie League is a spring baseball league that started in 2018 to help give young people the opportunity and access to the sport. The league outfits jerseys, hats, and equipment for four divisions of youth baseball in Oklahoma City. They not only make the sport affordable for participants, they also help encourage the leaders of tomorrow through lessons of teamwork and sportsmanship. Last year, they had 350 participants across 4 age groups, and they expect those numbers to grow as we move into the future.
What else is happening at the Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark?
On September 11, visit the ballpark for the 2021 Taco & Margarita Festival. All ages are welcome to enjoy this event which will include more than 10 of Oklahoma City’s best restaurants, food trucks, and carts. General admission is free for children 12 and under, $10 for 13+, and $40 for VIP admission which includes two tickets, two margaritas, and one t-shirt. Purchase tickets here.
During the colder months when baseball games don’t dominate the ballpark, it doesn’t fall empty. Starting with weekends-only, around Black Friday of each year, the stadium becomes a winter wonderland for snow tubing. They lay down a synthetic surface, so even when Oklahoma’s winter weather doesn’t have snow-like temperatures, people can still enjoy the thrill of sledding. This year, they plan on hosting 68 sessions open to the public and 20-30 private sessions for holiday parties and organized gatherings. Learn more about booking a session here.
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