“It’s an opportunity for us to bring more people downtown 365 days a year,” said Bob Murphy, who has been the Dayton Dragons’ president since the team’s inception in 1999. “We want to create that type of activity. We want to entertain and host events.”
Murphy envisions groups having meals at the club, corporate meetings and training sessions, holiday gatherings, networking events, fundraising galas and much more.
The club will offer a year-round venue atop the ballpark’s new batting tunnel, along the third-base side of the ballpark. Construction has been easily visible for weeks along East Monument Avenue.
The area will be open to general ticket holders during home games if they book the space, said Brandy Guinaugh, the team’s executive vice president and assistant general manager.
The new batting tunnel is along the main concourse. Guests will be able to get to the club above the tunnel via stairs or an elevator.
“It’s really basically right at the end of suite level,” Guinaugh said.
The new tunnel measures 15 feet by 75 feet. This is the second batting practice area at the ballpark. The other is on the locker room level and is shared by the Dragons and their opponents.
Guinaugh said the events space can be booked at daytondragons.com/specialevents or by calling the team’s events services staff at (937) 228-2287, extension 698.
The team has said the second off-field batting cage will make the Dragons compliant with a Major League Baseball directive for all minor-league parks to have two off-field batting areas.
That directive came down during a challenging period for the Dragons, as the team was emerging from the pandemic, an era that saw some 600 calendar days go by without a game, Murphy recalled.
The team estimates that the Dragons have a $27 million economic impact on the community every year. Downtown has seen $3 billion in projects since the Dragons started playing in April 2000, the team also estimates.
The Dragons have said the new development “marks the most significant enhancement to the ballpark since its original construction and is designed to expand the ballpark’s role as a year-round destination beyond baseball.”
The Dragons sellout streak is active and stands at 1,591 consecutive games.
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