2008 Scouts Induction Tour Ends with the Saints

Hep Cronin (Atlanta Braves) and Phil Rizzo (Seattle Mariners) were the last of twelve scouts inducted this year in to the Scouts Hall of Fame. We had a great time and look forward to 2009! Another twelve scouts will be inducted next year and Topps has announced that they will continue the Topps Scouts baseball cards based on this years success. Stay tuned! Congrats to GM Derek Sharrer and his staff at the Saints for ending this year with a bang

Sioux Falls Induction- August 8th

We had a tremendous time at the Birdcage this past Friday. Matt Hansen and his staff did a great job welcoming Art Stewart (Kansas City Royals) and Brad Sloan (LA Angels) and his wife Cindy to the park. Earlier in the day, Brad Sloan and Matt Meola went on air to talk about the campaign.

Charleston Inducted Donny Rowland and Lon Joyce

On July 25th the Charleston RiverDogs inducted NY Yankees Scout Donny Rowland and LA Dodgers Scout Lon Joyce into the Scouts Hall of Fame.

BROCKTON SCOUT HALL OF FAME

On Sunday July 25th the Brockton Rox inducted two members into the Professioanl Baseball Scouts Hall of Fame. Lennie Merullo and Buzz Bowers were present for the unveiling of their bronze plaque. This was our third stop on a six ballpark tour.

MIRACLE INDUCTION

On Saturday, Fort Myers Miracle inducted Tom Kotchman of the Angels and Rudy Santin of the Giants. Fun was had by all.

LINK TO STORY:

news-press.com

SUCCESS- RENEGADES UNVEIL FIRST OF SIX SCOUT INDUCTIONS

On Saturday, June 21, Texas Rangers Tom Giordano and White Sox John Tumminia were inducted into the Scouts Hall of Fame at the Hudson Valley Renegades ballpark in Fishkill, NY.The scouts viewed their bronze plaque for the first time, each received a personalized letter from their organization congratulating them and Topps took it one step further by giving them their own baseball card!

MLB.COM - By Fred Claire

Fred Claire, a writer at mlb.com, takes a look at the hard work of scouts, and the Goldklang Group's Scout Hall of Fame in his most recent article on mlb.com. You can read an excerpt from the article below, or read the full article by following this link.

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Scouts Deserve Their Due by Fred Claire

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When I think about this week, the week of the First-Year Player Draft, I think about the most important people involved with Major League Baseball in my view -- the scouts. The scouts are the heart and soul of baseball.

They are the guys who sit right behind home plate at the ballparks throughout the country and yet are overlooked in many ways. That's why it was nice to see the recent announcement by the Goldklang Group that it would team up with the Topps Company to establish a Baseball Scouts Hall of Fame and honor 12 scouts in the inaugural class this year.

Make no mistake, this isn't the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y. There is a movement to see that the scouts receive their due recognition at Cooperstown, but this hasn't become a reality as yet.

The Goldklang Group is a sports entertainment, consulting and management firm that works with six independent league teams and decided it was time to speed up the process to give the scouts some recognition.

During the course of this summer, beginning on June 21, each of the six teams involved with the Goldklang Group will honor two scouts with a plaque being placed on a Hall of Fame wall to be established at the respective parks. The teams carry somewhat unusual names and in locations where you might not immediately think of baseball -- the Charleston River Dogs of Charleston, S.C.; the Hudson Valley Renegades of Fishkill, N.Y.; the Ft. Myers Miracles of Ft. Myers, Fla.; the St. Paul Saint Paul, Minn.; the Sioux Falls Canaries of Sioux Falls, S.D.; and the Brockton Rox of Brockton, Mass.

It's really quite fitting that the scouts would be honored at what might seem to be out of the way locations. That all ties in with the life of a scout, going to whatever location is needed in the search for talent. For the complete article by Fred Claire, follow this link.

Building A Wall in Brockton

The process has begun for the Brockton Scout Wall. The Front Office customized their design of the wall providing a dramactic effect that fans can appreciate as they walk into their stadium.

Drive Right Up- Scouts Get VIP Parking At All Six Clubs

As part of the campaign scouts will receive VIP parking at all six clubs.

A LOOK AT THE NEW SCOUT BASEBALL CARDS

INDUCTEES ANNOUNCED

THE GOLDKLANG GROUP ANNOUNCES INDUCTEES INTO PROFESSIONAL BASEBALL SCOUTS HALL OF FAME

The Goldklang Group and Topps to Honor Twelve Scouts with Ceremony at Six Minor League Teams

FLORHAM PARK, NEW JERSEY & NEW YORK (MAY 12,2008)- The Goldklang Group today announced the induction of the inaugural class of twelve scouts into the Professional Baseball Scouts Hall of Fame (PBSHOF) sponsored by The Topps Company Inc. The Group-affiliated clubs (Charleston RiverDogs, Ft. Myers Miracle, Hudson Valley Renegades, St. Paul Saints, Brockton Rox, Sioux Falls Canaries) will honor the inductees with an on field ceremony along with the unveiling of their bronze plaque.

The following scouts and ceremony dates shall represent our 2008 Inaugural Induction Class:

HUDSON VALLEY RENEGADES- JUNE 21

John Tumminia – Chicago White Sox

Tom Giordano – Texas Rangers

FORT MYERS MIRACLE- JULY 12

Tom Kotchman – Los Angeles Angels

Rudy Santin – San Francisco Giants

BROCKTON ROX – JULY 20

Lennie Merullo – MLSB

Buzz Bowers – Boston Red Sox

CHARLESTON RIVERDOGS – JULY 25

Lon Joyce- LA Dodgers

Donny Rowland- New York Yankees

SIOUX FALLS- AUGUST 8

Brad Sloan – Los Angeles Angels

Art Stewart – Kansas City Royals

ST. PAUL SAINTS – AUGUST 15

Phil Rizzo – LA Dodgers

Hep Cronin – Atlanta Braves

In conjunction with the ballpark campaigns, Topps plans to feature scouts on their trading cards including the creation of special cards to share with each inductee.

Criteria upon which selection was based: Minimum 20 years professional scouting experience. The selection of inductees shall be based on a combination of quantifiable success in the field, contributions made to the game in other areas of the sport whether professional or amateur, and importantly their involvement and dedication to the local community that is honoring them through induction.

ABOUT THE GOLDKLANG GROUP

The Goldklang Group is a sports entertainment consulting and management firm. The Group provides operational consulting and management services in all areas relating to sports franchise and event acquisition, promotion and operation.

The principals in the Group are Marvin Goldklang and Mike Veeck. Goldklang is a noted owner and operator of several highly successful minor league baseball franchises, Chairman of M.S. Goldklang and Company, a New Jersey-based merchant banking firm, and a limited partner in the Yankees. Veeck is a noted public speaker and author, as well as an owner and operator of minor league baseball clubs that continually are recognized nationally for their promotional innovation and financial success. (http://www.goldklanggroup.com/)

ABOUT THE TOPPS COMPANY, INC.

Founded in 1938, Topps is a leading creator and marketer of sports and related cards, entertainment products, and distinctive confectionery. Topps entertainment products include Major League Baseball, NFL, NBA and other trading cards, sticker album collections, and collectible games. The Company's confectionery brands include “Bazooka” bubble gum, Ring Pop,” “Push Pop,” Baby Bottle Pop” and “Juicy Drop Pop” lollipops. For additional information, visit http://www.topps.com/.
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Charleston RiverDogs Wall Complete

Spent the weekend at the RiverDogs ballpark and many thanks go out to GM Dave Echols for finanalizing the wall plans. The wall is aesthetically very pleasing and blends in nicely with rest of the ballpark.

And I want to thank Josh Maurer for his hospitality and it was great to spend time with Bill Henley from Charleston Post & Courier in the Broadcast Booth.

Special Thanks to Celtics Michelle Price

I have to say thanks to former Renegades Employee Michelle Price, who now is a star for the Boston Celtics, for providing me with the unmatched experience of sitting court side.

Brockton Rox Wall Location

I was in Brockton yesterday with GM Brian Voelkel and Director of Media Relations/Broadcasting Matt Futrell. We were going over potential sites for the construction of their Scouts Hall of Fame wall. Here are a couple of possibilities-including the location that Brian and Matt are standing on!

Fort Myers Wall Complete

Here is the final version of the Scouts Hall of Fame Wall.

A Wall Grows in Fort Myers

Fort Myers Miracle General Manager Steve Gliner has done a wonderful job finalizing the Scouts Wall at their ballpark. The Miracle and Lee County worked together on a very short timeline to construct this great wall in time for the bulk of the ML spring training schedule. Thousands of fans and countless industry personnel were able to view the new wall and provided us with great feedback.

An Idea Comes to Light

THE TOPPS COMPANY, INC. BECOMES OFFICIAL SPONSOR OF PROFESSIONAL BASEBALL SCOUTS HALL OF FAME CAMPAIGN
The Goldklang Group to Honor Scouts Efforts At All Six Minor League Teams

FLORHAM PARK, NEW JERSEY & NEW YORK (NOVEMBER 28,2007)- The Topps Company, Inc. and the Goldklang Group today announced a partnership agreement naming Topps the official sponsor of the Professional Baseball Scouts Hall of Fame (PBSHOF) campaign at all six Goldklang Group minor league baseball clubs. The Group-affiliated clubs (Charleston RiverDogs, Ft. Myers Miracle, Hudson Valley Renegades, St. Paul Saints, Brockton Rox, Sioux Falls Canaries) will create premium new year-round inventory that shall be designated solely for the PBSHOF.

The Goldklang Group activated a ballpark campaign to spotlight the tremendous dedication of Professional Baseball Scouts, tireless and devoted individuals who spend a significant amount of their lives on the road, and create recognition for their invaluable contributions to the game of baseball. There will be a ceremony and established dedication area at each ballpark honoring a scout each year throughout the league schedule.

In conjunction with the ballpark campaigns, Topps plans to feature scouts on their trading cards including the creation of special cards to share with each inductee. The dedication areas at each ballpark are slated to be finalized prior to the start of the 2008 season.

Criteria for Inductees: Minimum 20 years professional scouting experience. The selection of inductees shall be based on a combination of quantifiable success in the field, contributions made to the game in other areas of the sport whether professional or amateur, and importantly their involvement and dedication to the local community that is honoring them through induction. Please direct nominations based on this criteria to scouts@goldklanggroup.com.

The PBSHOF is the culmination of recent broad scale efforts to create a forum designed to honor one of the game’s most valuable professions. The combined reach and recognition achieved through the partnership of industry leaders Topps and the Goldklang Group should succeed in shining a long overdue spotlight on scouts across the landscape of professional baseball.

“Topps has an unparalleled history in recognizing the accomplishments of those associated with the game of professional baseball,” said Adam Zucker, director of licensing. “This partnership is another step in the direction of Topps working to pioneer change and recognition within the scope of the scouting industry, and we are thrilled to announce that we are adding scouts to our trading cards.”

“We share the passion of recognizing the achievements of scouts in baseball,” said Tyler Tumminia, vice president of integrated marketing. “Through our partnership with Topps we are able to create an exceptional opportunity for the many fans who wish to receive a clearer understanding of a scout’s role, in conjunction with the ability to establish lifelong memories for the families of scouts that are honored.”

ABOUT THE GOLDKLANG GROUP

The Goldklang Group is a sports entertainment consulting and management firm. The Group provides operational consulting and management services in all areas relating to sports franchise and event acquisition, promotion and operation.
The principals in the Group are Marvin Goldklang and Mike Veeck. Goldklang is a noted owner and operator of several highly successful minor league baseball franchises, Chairman of M.S. Goldklang and Company, a New Jersey-based merchant banking firm, and a limited partner in the Yankees. Veeck is a noted public speaker and author, as well as an owner and operator of minor league baseball clubs that continually are recognized nationally for their promotional innovation and financial success. (http://www.goldklanggroup.com/)

ABOUT THE TOPPS COMPANY, INC.Founded in 1938, Topps is a leading creator and marketer of sports and related cards, entertainment products, and distinctive confectionery. Topps entertainment products include Major League Baseball, NFL, NBA and other trading cards, sticker album collections, and collectible games. The Company's confectionery brands include “Bazooka” bubble gum, Ring Pop,” “Push Pop,” Baby Bottle Pop” and “Juicy Drop Pop” lollipops. For additional information, visit http://www.topps.com/.