Chicago Dogs Have Big Advantages Over Other Four Local Minor League Baseball Clubs

By Paul M. Banks

The Chicago Dogs exist in a very crowded local marketplace. They compete against four other minor league clubs (Gary-Southshore Railcats, Kane County Cougars, Schaumburg Boomers and the Windy City Thunderbolts) and two Major League franchises (Chicago Cubs, White Sox) for attention from Chicagoland baseball fans. Although the Sox, literally on pace to finish with the worst record ever for a team playing 162 games, barely deserve to keep that designation at this point.

The Dogs have a lot going for them, starting with their location. Their home is Impact Field, a $60 million, 6,300-seat stadium in the village of Rosemont. The ballpark setup is reminiscent of the New York Mets' old Shea Stadium (near LaGuardia Airport) with commercial jetliners consistently flying low over the ballpark (O’Hare international airport is adjacent).

Photo byCourtesy American Association

If you have a kid who loves both baseball and airplanes, then this is the place to bring him or her as massive jumbo jets, just ascending from take off, consistently soar over the third base and left field side. The stadium is much closer to downtown Chicago than the other minor league ball clubs and is the only one accessible by both metropolitan light rail and suburban trains.

The stadium is situated in the heart of the village's entertainment district, where you find the fashion outlet mall, indoor skydiving, a movie house, various pubs, the Caddyshack-themed bar and restaurant owned by Bill and Brian Doyle Murray. You can also see the Big Ten conference headquarters, who share a building (I am not making this up) with a Fogo de Chao, right across Interstate-294 in left-center field.

The other local minor league clubs are more remote, with far less to do in their adjacent surroundings. The Dogs also have a manager with Major League chops in Butch Hobson, who led the Boston Red Sox from 1992-1994. Hobson has managed this American Association of Independent Professional Baseball franchise since their inception in 2018.

Chicago Cubs Hall of Very Good member Carlos Zambrano is the Dogs' most famous all-time player, as Big Z went 4–1 with a 5.16 ERA, mostly in a closer role, for them in 2019.

The American Association's all-time most famous alum is Rafael Palmeiro, as the 500 home run and 3,000 hit club member (we need asterisks on both those milestones) played in this league at the age of 54, alongside his son Patrick.

Ownership is another attribute that is largely in the favor of the Dogs, as they were co-founded by Shawn Hunter and Steven Gluckstern. Hunter, the man who closed the deal that brought David Beckham to the L.A. Galaxy from Real Madrid, has front office experience in the NHL (Phoenix Coyotes, Colorado Avalanche) and NBA (Denver Nuggets, Minnesota Timberwolves).

Gluckstern previously owned the Coyotes and the New York Islanders. The Dogs have also previously partnered with Major League legend Curtis Granderson and his charity.

With all sports teams, but especially so with minor league baseball, it’s all about “the brand.” It’s a word that most non-business school types aren’t fond of hearing, but “the brand” is best defined by the emotional connections to consuming the product. (Actually, business school types aren’t big fans of this term either).

The Dogs make memories for their fans every time they host a game. You know the supposed rules about hot dogs in Chicago, you do not put ketchup on them for some reason. Thus the Dogs have a ketchup mascot, clearly modeled after the McDonald's Hamburglar, who gets “chased out” of the stadium by “security.”

He's the villain in the mascot dynamic, with a mustard bottle named Squeeze the hero. Their mascot partnership is somewhat reminiscent of Ribbie and Roobarb, the White Sox duo from the 1980s.

And that is exactly what minor league baseball is all about- the zany promotions and memorable gimmicks. In the very crowded marketplace that is baseball in America, especially the minor leagues (and even more so unaffiliated baseball), you have to find a way to stand out, and then make memories that long remain with those who come to the ballpark.

Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”