"Baseball City" 2015 in Scottsdale Draws Record 20,000 Visitors

NEW YORK - March 13, 2015 - PRLog -- The Legacy Agency today announced that over 20,000 fans attended Baseball City - the largest and only interactive Spring Training event in the country- this weekend in Scottsdale, Arizona. Presented by The City of Scottsdale and the Scottsdale Convention and Visitors Bureau, it was held on March 7 and 8 at the Scottsdale Civic Center Mall.   Baseball City had a host of interactive programs, clinics, brand activation platforms and appearances by current and former MLB players as part of the two day celebration that kicked off Cactus League play.  The attendance was more than triple the first year, which was held in Phoenix, and exceeded expectations for the second year event.

“We are very pleased with our second expanded year of ‘Baseball City’ and we are now set for growing with our partners even more than before” said Mike Principe, CEO of The Legacy Agency, which owns and produced the event. “Everyone who participated, from fans to brands to media to the current and former players, saw the great value that such an event can provide to the thousands who come to Arizona for spring training, and that interest and excitement in growing the event gives us a great opportunity to take a big step again next spring.”

“Baseball City is an excellent addition to Scottsdale’s mix of activities around spring training.  The hands-on activities – the home run stadium, the batting cages, the pitching machines and the science of baseball activities – helped create a high-energy, family-friendly event, “ said Jim Lane, Mayor of Scottsdale. “Inviting current Major League players and Hall of Famers to mingle with fans and actually interact with them on the playing field created a unique environment. It was a true, pure celebration of baseball. Scottsdale is rich in baseball history. The game is part of our character. I believe Baseball City adds to that heritage and builds on our reputation as a focal point for spring training.”

Media exposure for the event was also vast, with MLB Network covering the event for their 175 million households, while Univision, Univision Radio, Baseball America, Baseball Youth, Cox Communications, AZ Central Sports (part of Republic Media/ Arizona Republic), KTAR Radio, and the Arizona Baseball Network provided coverage to a wide international audience, as well as to the thousands of fans who were in the area for spring training.  Home markets like Chicago, San Francisco and Los Angeles also provided coverage on outlets that included CSN in Chicago, Fox Sports Radio and ESPN radio and digital in areas outside of Arizona.

San Francisco Giants 2014 World Series hero Joe Panik attended along with Hall of Famers Rollie Fingers, Ferguson Jenkins, Andre Dawson and Orlando Cepeda, and baseball legends Steve Garvey, Bill Bucker, and Rich Aurilia.  The lineup of participants also included Aaron Hill, AJ Pollock and Archie Bradley (ARI), Andrew Susac (SFG), Michael Brantley and Mike Aviles (CLE), Billy Butler and Scott Kazmir (OAK), Wily Peralta (MIL), Yangervis Solarte (SD), Arismendy Alcantara (CHC), Micah Johnson (CWS), Tyler Matzek (COL), and Sean Newcomb (LAA) among others.

Brands that came on board for the event included:  Pepsi, Hensley Beverage, Four Peaks, Bud Light, Steiner Sports, LIDS, KIND Snacks, Schutt Sports, Uber, Saguaro Scottsdale Hotel, Ferguson Jenkins Foundation, Scottsdale Food Truck Caravan, Rock N Roll High School, YELP, and Triple Crown Sports.

The San Francisco Giants also partnered with the event and executed promotional in-stadium messaging for their early spring training games.  In addition to the stadium promotions, over 1,500 participants in the "San Francisco Giants Race" picked  up race packets on Saturday, making for a sea of "black and orange” across the first morning of the event.

Kids of all ages had the ability to take part in a special Arizona SciTech Baseball Festival, which brings unique partnerships with ASU, UA and Midwestern Scientists to engage the public in hands on opportunities with the science behind sport, while the The Arizona Spring Training Experience and Cactus League Hall of Fame told the story of the players, the teams, and the communities that have made Arizona the home for spring training baseball for seventy years.

Details for a 2016 expansion will be announced in the coming months.

About The Legacy Agency/TLA Worldwide

TLA Worldwide plc (TLA:LN) and its subsidiary, The Legacy Agency, Inc., is a leading athlete representation and sports marketing business with a full service offering to its clients in baseball, broadcasting, coaching, endorsement and golf talent.  In addition, it also provides a range of services in respect of media and corporate consultancy, sports sponsorship and event production to many sportspeople and corporate clients. The company’s success and growth potential is founded on three key pillars: the competency of the underlying businesses, their complementary practices and the strength and experience of the management team. With over 55 full-time personnel, TLA serves its clients from 10 locations worldwide including its principal offices in London, UK; New York and Newport Beach, USA; and Melbourne, Australia.  For more information, please visit www.legacy-agency.com

Arizona Contact:  Sara Jane Jones Widdes-480- 423-1414 ext. 7 SJones@RoseMoserAllynPR.com

National Contact: Joe Favorito- 917-566-8345 joefavorito1@yahoo.com