CornBelters: Cheaper concessions, more entertainment planned in 2018

Posted on May 11, 2018
Steve Malliet and Billy Horn
Normal CornBelters President Steve Malliet and Manager Billy Horn prepare for the 2018 season opener tonight. (Eric Stock/WJBC)

By Eric Stock

NORMAL – Normal’s minor league baseball team is making lots of changes heading into its ninth season in hopes of bringing more fans back to the Corn Crib.

Most of the changes are off the field after the CornBelters 11th in attendance in the 12-team Frontier League last season at fewer than 1,700 fans per game. President Steve Malliet told WJBC’s Scott Laughlin in-game entertainment will be greatly improved as the Belters play their season opener on Friday night.

PODCAST: Listen to Scott’s interview with Malliet on WJBC.

“You are going to see something very unique tonight, with the entertainment and son top of that we’ve revamped our menu, simplified it,” Malliet said. “We’ve cut our price dramatically. So when you come out to a game there’s going to be no comparison with Major League Baseball whatsoever.”

Hot dogs, peanuts, pizza and popcorn are all $2, candy $1.

The CornBelters are also moving back first pitch to 7:05 p.m. and Sundays at 6:05.

“We just found people weren’t able to make it on time,” Malliet said of last year’s 6:35 start time. “It’s been good for some people but others they just couldn`t get there for the start of the game with all the pomp and circumstance we are going to have now. We really want people to be there for that and see that.”

The CornBelters host the Traverse City Beach Bums on Friday to start a three-game series.

Eric Stock can be reached at [email protected].

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