The Lugnuts have been a staple in the Lansing community since Jackson Field, formerly known as Oldsmobile Park, was built in 1996. The Athletics’ High-A minor league affiliate is located in the heart of the Stadium District in the downtown area.
The team serves as the only professional baseball club in the state’s capital city. When the Lugnuts arrived in town, it wanted to build a rapport with local fans. Allowing them to influence the brand makes the team feel unique.
“We definitely try to bring the community together,” Marketing and Fan Engagement Manager Amanda Rich said. “The people helped us pick the name and the mascot. They were all public votes. It feels like the community brought the Lugnuts to Lansing. With the automotive theme, we were able to go for a larger representation of the state of Michigan.”
There weren’t too many attractions in Lansing before the Lugnuts came to town, but when the smells of roasted peanuts hit the streets, people from all over the metro area started flocking to Michigan Ave.
General Manager Zac Clark was born and raised south of Lansing. Clark wasn’t a frequent visitor of the city until the Lugnuts showed up, and now, his whole career is based in the same area he used to overlook.
“At that time, a lot of people worked here, and then they went home,” Clark said about the downtown area. “And over the course of the years, as things have kind of progressed, it started attracting more business. It just kind of grew everything up organically over time. And now people live here, they work here, they shop here, they eat here. Just to see how this has all kind of come together has been amazing.”
Local season ticket holder Carol Haley is one of the many in the Lugnuts’ deep fan base. She has been coming to games since she moved to the area around 2000. The attraction of the Lugnuts is that the team plays at the minor league level, so players aren’t just interested in the limelight.
“I am a fan of this level, not so much with the big guys.” Haley said. “This is more fun. These kids are right out of college and they just want to play baseball. They aren’t just in it for the big bucks.”
Affordability is another factor that drives attention to games. Deals like $5 taco nights are becoming hard to come by at the MLB level. The price range is effective in driving in customers, especially when a Big Ten university and a community college sits in the backyard of the stadium’s confines.
“Thirsty Thursdays” have become popular for the students at Michigan State, as domestic beers are only $3 a pop. The Crosstown Showdown, an annual exhibition match between the Spartans and Lugnuts, brings out the Lansing versus East Lansing rivalry. Tickets for these games sell at the highest rates year in and year out.
The current trend in sports though is club seating. Areas like the Home Plate Club at Comerica Park allow for a premium experience, but price out the average fan. The Lugnuts walk a fine line between offering amenities like nightly suites, while also making sure that the foundation of the fan base can still afford to attend a ballgame.
The 30 year rise of the Lugnuts hasn’t only brought excitement to the city, but developments including apartment buildings overlooking the field and restaurants for people to explore.
“I think this is just the tip of the iceberg,” Clark said. “This is going to only continue to be reshaped as we kind of move through the years here. And it's going to get even better than most people's wildest imaginations. I think there's an eye towards development here in Lansing, and it's been really successful over the last 15 or 20 years. But I think the next 15 or 20 years are just going to be that much more impactful and I'm really excited about it. The ballpark is right in the heart of it.“
The Lugnuts have taken on plenty of clubs since its inception. First, they played under the Kansas City Royals before joining the Cubs organization. From there, the team joined the Toronto Blue Jays before settling with the Athletics in 2021.
Most players in the system come and go, but there are some that leave marks in the minds of fans for decades. Past stars like Carlos Beltran paved the way for a new generation of talents like Vlad Guerrero Jr.
“We're selling memories, people don't come here expecting this guy or that guy to be an all star in the big leagues or a future Hall of Famer, but you never know,” Clark said. “I know back in the early 2000s when the Tigers legendary prospects were coming through, Justin Verlander pitched here a lot when he was with the Whitecaps. So it's not just who's playing for the Lugnuts. It's fun to have that level of access to those players before they reach superstar status. I think the fans really enjoy it too, and with the internet and prospecting it makes it easier to kind of build that connection.“
The situation with the Athletics at the Major League level is cause for concern for many within the organization, but not much will change in regards to Lugnuts operations, besides adjusting a few graphics. Representing the Athletics brand is important to the organization, as logos like the script Lansing or green and gold practice jerseys connect the teams that are separated by more than 2,200 miles.
“Our situation makes us feel very comfortable,” Clark said. “We are trending in the right direction and confident that baseball is safe in Lansing forever.”