The Spokane Indians aren't just a baseball team, they're a local cultural phenomenon. Between the commitment to countless communities in the Inland Northwest, the promotions at every home game, and the mere existence of Ribby the Redband Trout (one of the team's four mascots), it's not hard to understand why.
While the team is lucky that Washington's only Major League Baseball team (ahem, the Mariners) doesn't hold much sway in Spokane, the Indians' success can mainly be attributed to the identity that's been carefully crafted with every die-hard and fledgling fan in mind. And starting this year, that identity is about to get a lot more technological — at least in the ballpark that is.
Thanks to the team receiving a total of $16.5 million in combination from state and local funding, as well as from private donors, Senior Vice President Otto Klein says that the next two years will be filled with construction and upgrades at Avista Stadium.
"In addition to another great season of baseball, we'll be in the first segment of our construction projects," he says.
Some of this year's improvements will be all new stadium lights, which Klein says will benefit players and spectators like, and a ton of new LED signage. However, the biggest impact will be two new video boards planned for installation by the end of this season.
"We have an older scoreboard, and we have been behind in technology here at the stadium," he explains. "This will have the greatest impact on every single person who attends a game."
Klein hopes to have the boards installed by fall, but says that may mean work is finished after the baseball season ends in September. (This could give them time to craft a clever Ribby-centric fan cam, or something like that).
The upcoming season, which starts with a home opener on Friday, April 5, also introduces two new community campaigns that have been in the works for a year, Klein says. The "King Carl" campaign honors the legacy of local civil rights activist and champion boxer Carl Maxey with new uniforms featuring a special King Carl logo that will debut in the Indians' April 19 game. The new jerseys and hats will also be worn for a game on Juneteenth, the June 19 holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States. The Spokane Indians collaborated on the Maxey campaign with the Carl Maxey Center, The Black Lens newspaper and Spokane's NAACP chapter.
A second campaign introduces another special team uniform and a different identity for the 2024 season — Cafecitos de Spokane — as the Indians join in on Minor League Baseball's Copa de la Diversión (or Fun Cup). This identity is meant to honor the Latino and Hispanic communities of Spokane while also celebrating the Inland Northwest's love of coffee, Klein says. Cafecito, which literally means "little coffee" in Spanish, is often used to describe the shared conversation friends may have over coffee. The Indians play their first Cafecitos game on May 5 against the Eugene Emeralds.
On top of all the newness this season, Klein says folks can expect more of the Spokane Indians' game promotions that they've come to love over the years. For example, this year the team is presenting more than 20 game night fireworks shows, including opening day and a grand season finale.
"Fans have grown accustomed to our many promotions," he says. "That's why we're trying to introduce as many as we can this year."
This includes the "Dollars in your Dog Day" game on April 7, during which fans may randomly find money or other prizes in their hot dog wrappers, and the first "Ballpark Bugs & Stadium Snakes Day" game on June 9, when attendants will get to view some (hopefully not scary) reptile friends.
We also can't forget to celebrate the team's beloved mascots either. On May 15, the Indians celebrate Ribby's birthday, and then on May 30, it's Doris' turn for a birthday party. And if one Ribby celebration just isn't enough for you, there's another chance at the July 12 game where 1,000 fans will have a chance to receive a free Ribby bobblehead.
Otto's birthday celebration isn't until the July 14 game, but that gives fans enough time to save up for a big present. (You are getting these mascots some presents, right?) ♦
Spokane Indians Opening Day vs. Vancouver Canadians • Fri, April 5 at 6:35 pm (additional games April 6-7) • $11-$20 single game tickets • Avista Stadium • 602 N. Havana St. • spokaneindians.com
