The Ogden Raptors, a Rookie League affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers, realize that when you’re a minor league baseball franchise, you have to get creative with your promotions.
With over 200 minor league baseball franchises in the United States, you’ve got to be original in order to get attention from the media and publicity industries.
For some bizarre reason, the Ogden Raptors went the sexist objectification route. They came up with something called “Hourglass Appreciation Night,” a promotion that has less-than-optimal optics. It actually looks like the product of a stuck-in-the-1950s marketing focus group which was led by Roger Ailes and Bill O’Reilly.
The original press release marketing the game has since been deleted, but here is the gist of it-
“The home team hosts the Billings Mustangs, but the real thoroughbreds will join Raptors broadcaster A.P. Harreld in the booth. Since August is the eighth month of the calendar year, and an 8 looks tantalizingly similar to an hourglass, be there a better way to remind the world that baseball needs no clock than to feature 18 hourglass-shaped color commentators?
“That’s right! Stars Talent Studio of Salt Lake City will provide a different stunner each half-inning. And the Raptors will video-stream the broadcast booth — well, at least the better-looking half of it! Fans will have the opportunity to pose for pictures with the lovely ladies as we showcase seriously splendid visual appeal: Utah’s legendary mountains, Dodgers and Reds farmhands — and gorgeous women whose curves rival those of any stud pitching prospect!”
Also, here’s a Tweet from New York Daily News Mets reporter Kate Feldman, who snapped the release’s cartoon graphic, which was utilized to hype this “event.”
What the hell is happening here? https://t.co/jmo2yybnxR pic.twitter.com/KwpZ23ja9k
— Kate Feldman (@kateefeldman) June 6, 2017
As sexist and objectifying as that promo blurb was, is it really that much worse than what ESPN, FOX, NBC, CBS are all doing when it comes to hiring sideline reporters? The TV networks have sent a clear, socially regressive message to young women everywhere. That message is “your physical appearance is more important than your journalism skills.”
This stupid and sexist promotion is just a Dodgers farm team trying to act as a farm club for the sideline reporter vocation too; just in a clumsier, more socially regressive and extremely devoid of social skills kind of way.
Instead of approaching with subtlety, the club went about it like a horny old man with too much Viagra, Cialis, and Levitra (the fact that all baseball fans can name multiple brands of boner pills effortlessly is an issue too) is in his system.
Here’s the statement from Ogden Raptors President Dave Baggott, who has already reverted to walking it back mode:
The Ogden Raptors regret that an unauthorized press release was disseminated over the weekend announcing a promotion that was not approved or scheduled by club ownership or management.
This promotion will not take place and steps have been put in place to ensure this will not happen again.
The Ogden Raptors offer a sincere apology to anyone who was offended by the promotion itself and the contents of the press release, and in no way supports or condones the objectification of women. It is not reflective of the values of the Ogden Raptors, Los Angeles Dodgers organization, the Pioneer Baseball League or Minor League Baseball.
This Dodgers farm team is certainly taking their strong medicine right now and that is definitely earned, but again look higher.
The real finger should be pointed at our nation’s general leaders and role models, not the Raptors themselves. This club is located in a county that Donald Trump won by 20% points.
Also, never forget that Trump, who took the state by 18% points, gave us this soundbite:
- “I’m automatically attracted to beautiful [women]—I just start kissing them. It’s like a magnet. Just kiss. I don’t even wait. And when you’re a star they let you do it. You can do anything … Grab them by the pussy. You can do anything.”
It’s a tragic realization, but the Ogden Raptors might have been playing to their base a bit more than we might want to realize.
Via their Twitter account banner photo, you can literally see the phrase “America First” painted on their home field. They even sell hats that look like this:
We are going to make Baseball even greater this year!
$15 per cap: buy all three for $30.#ogdenraptors #ogdenraptorsbaseball #goraptors pic.twitter.com/Z5sFELbkD4— Ogden Raptors (@OgdenRaptors) May 3, 2017
On the plus side, take a look at all the comments beneath that Tweet. Maybe we need to give their fan base more credit, because many of them seem to get it…even though the club itself certainly does not.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net and TheBank.News, partnered with FOX Sports Engage Network. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, NBC Chicago.com and Chicago Tribune.com, currently contributes to WGN CLTV and KOZN.
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