Aligning the interests of the franchise, community and their career, while creating a fun work environment is the sweet spot from my perspective.
Andy Milovich
President & General Manager
Frisco RoughRiders
The President/GM role involves overseeing all aspects of the Frisco RoughRiders operations except for the player/coaching decisions, which is handled by our Major League Affiliate, which is the Texas Rangers.
We have a staff of approximately 40 people and departments that include Food and Beverage, Operations, Finance, Ticket Sales, Marketing/Promotions, Sponsorship Sales, Merchandise, Media and Community Relations.
The sales and marketing efforts are the largest focus of mine because they drive the franchise revenue, but a significant amount of time is spent integrating each of our departments. No two days look the same!
Our focus is on delivering an incredible game-day experience for all fans! The fan experience encompasses all aspects of the game-day visit, which includes purchasing tickets, parking, entering the ballpark, purchasing food and beverage and enjoying the game.
Our ballpark is among the finest in the country and includes the largest video board in Minor League Baseball, a Lazy River, Outfield LED, multiple bar locations, 23 suites, private club space and multiple hospitality areas.
We utilize a variety of tools to identify potential sponsors and ticketholders.
Minor League Baseball is a unique sporting endeavor. We don’t have the luxury that major college or major league sports have in passing fandom down from generation to generation. We deliver an incredible fan experience, but we must work harder to develop that fan interest.
Taking our efforts to the streets and engaging with non-profits throughout the community allows us the opportunity to create the emotional connections with potential fans that are more difficult for us to generate than the big leagues or major college programs.
Serving on the community boards facilitates relationships with business owners and leaders throughout the community, which drives ticket and sponsorship sales.
Additionally, minor league ballparks are community assets that are built for the purpose of providing wholesome affordable family entertainment for the communities in which we play. The teams that operate these ballparks become part of the fabric of our communities by engaging with the community and by operating as though we are a public trust.
Leading a team of young professionals that have devoted their lives to careers in sports requires creating a culture that connects them to a “Why.” To that extent, I work to connect them to our community and emphasize the important role we play in our community.
Aligning the interests of the franchise, community and their career, while creating a fun work environment is the sweet spot from my perspective.
After concluding this interview, it’s become apparent to me that Andy loves baseball like no other. He’s created amazing initiatives and improved the fan experience for both the Frisco RoughRiders and the Myrtle Beach Pelicans. He’s even gone as far as getting a prostate exam as a fundraising initiative while Pelicans fans watched! Despite all of Andy’s successes, I found he is quite humble. Andy’s hope is that he can connect his team to a “why”. From what I can see, it looks like Andy as accomplished that! Under Andy’s leadership, he’s seen plenty of his employees move on to successful careers in the big leagues. Even though Andy oversees the entirety of the RoughRiders, he hasn’t forgotten the impact he can have on each individual employee. If I ever find myself in the lone star state, you can catch me at a Frisco RoughRiders game floating down the lazy river!
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