Alfonso "The Fonz" Soriano Generates Energy and Ticket Sales for "Happy Days" in Des Moines!

By Mike Rickord

Alfonso Soriano graces the front cover of our 13th annual baseball edition of the Iowa Sports Connection as he spent a few days on rehab with the Iowa Cubs. I know that I have lost any shred of credibility with my staff with the byline “The Fonz Brings Happy Days to Principal Park,” however, I took owner’s privilege as they all rolled their eyes at my ancient carcass. There were two reasons that they feel I should head to the rocking chair with this statement. The first is they have never seen one episode of the 70s sitcom Happy Days and had no idea who the “Fonz” was portrayed as the James Dean of the show by Henry Winkler and the number two reason was Soriano’s play while in Des Moines was more AA than major league caliber.

I do stand by the statement though as a former employee in the sales and marketing department of the Iowa Cubs as “butts in the seats” was always the objective as we anxiously awaited any starter to return to Iowa and entice Chicago Cubs fans to come out more than they would during the course of the season. There is the explanation for a very unusual headline as it was “Happy Days at Principal Park” for Sam Bernabe and Michael Gartner while the turnstiles and the Soriano jerseys flocked to Principal Park! The rehab stints from Wrigley to Iowa generate much more interest from the fans than the tweeners that are in that constant pursuit of that “cup of coffee” in the Bigs, as they pursue that one shot at playing successfully in Wrigley, securing a permanent view of the ivy in the outfield of the “Friendly Confines.”

Regardless of who’s playing this season I implore you if you live in Iowa get to the “Friendly Confines” of Principal Park and watch the future of the Chicago Cubs play a spectacular level of baseball in arguably the finest park in all of AAA baseball. I relish the few times a year that I am able to sit in my season tickets right behind first base and the glorious golden dome of the state capital over center field and the Des Moines skyline directly in front of me over left field. This view is spectacular at sunset and you mix some superb baseball in with the upgrades made to the park and next to Wrigley it’s a Cub fans paradise.

The year is half over and man is it flying by with the 2010-2011 Iowa high school sports season winding down with boys baseball and girls softball complete in the next three weeks. However, this fall season actually begins on August 19th with the first football games literally kicking off the 2011-2012 high school sports year. This upcoming fall we will expand our Friday Night Live coverage further than any year in our 13-year history. The Iowa Sports Connection Radio Network with 29 affiliates across Iowa reaches all 99 counties and this year will include our four TV partners into our real live scoring partnership with WHO TV -13.2 in Des Moines and KCRG 9.2 in Cedar Rapids. The award winning Friday Night Live radio and TV broadcasts will parallel each other for six hours every Friday night during football season as Tony Atzeni and Mike Ferlazzo, both recognized by the Iowa Broadcast News as the best in their craft at covering Iowa high school sports, will lead our team from the studio this fall.

In addition to the state’s best high school coverage this fall, we will also launch our new look website “iowasportsconnection.com” in August along with the 13th anniversary of the Pigskin Preview which will be out on the stands on August 16 with every team that puts on the pads in Iowa included, from the 8-man high school teams to the Hawkeyes in Iowa City. The Pigskin Preview will also be available in our digital format to examine all season long as your source for Iowa high school football.

I thank you for taking the time to pick up our 13th anniversary baseball edition of the Iowa Sports Connection. Have a Championship month! God Bless You and God Bless America!