1 00:00:02,360 --> 00:00:03,960 Speaker 1: Lezouski camp but then the. 2 00:00:06,519 --> 00:00:10,560 Speaker 2: The Man and Bobby Fela Casey. There are some major 3 00:00:10,640 --> 00:00:14,880 Speaker 2: upgrades coming to an iconic downtown Indianapolis destination. 4 00:00:15,160 --> 00:00:17,880 Speaker 3: Yes, there are, and I can't wait to hear all 5 00:00:17,960 --> 00:00:20,040 Speaker 3: the details from the horse's mouth. 6 00:00:20,079 --> 00:00:20,520 Speaker 1: That's right. 7 00:00:20,640 --> 00:00:23,439 Speaker 2: So, if you haven't heard, Victory Field, one of the 8 00:00:23,480 --> 00:00:28,200 Speaker 2: crown jewels of downtown Indianapolis getting some fabulous new renovations 9 00:00:28,240 --> 00:00:31,080 Speaker 2: that are going to take place next year. Hair to 10 00:00:31,160 --> 00:00:34,560 Speaker 2: tell us all about it. Bruce Schumacher, friend of the show. 11 00:00:34,760 --> 00:00:36,760 Speaker 2: We refer to him as the head honcho over there 12 00:00:36,760 --> 00:00:39,000 Speaker 2: at the Indianapolis. That means Bruce, Hello. 13 00:00:39,479 --> 00:00:40,919 Speaker 3: Hey, good morning, how are both of you? 14 00:00:41,000 --> 00:00:41,560 Speaker 2: I'm doing great? 15 00:00:41,560 --> 00:00:41,680 Speaker 1: Now? 16 00:00:41,720 --> 00:00:44,199 Speaker 2: Head Honcho is not your technical title? What is your 17 00:00:44,200 --> 00:00:46,479 Speaker 2: technical title with the Indianapolis Indians? 18 00:00:46,880 --> 00:00:48,240 Speaker 1: I am chairman, jereman. 19 00:00:48,479 --> 00:00:50,520 Speaker 2: I've always wanted to be a chairman of something nice. 20 00:00:51,200 --> 00:00:53,320 Speaker 2: Do you walk around listening to like Frank Sinatra? 21 00:00:54,520 --> 00:00:56,840 Speaker 3: Well, I enjoy Frank Sinatra, but I don't usually walk 22 00:00:56,880 --> 00:00:57,800 Speaker 3: around listening. 23 00:00:58,400 --> 00:01:00,240 Speaker 2: All right, So tell us about the big up raids 24 00:01:00,240 --> 00:01:03,560 Speaker 2: that are coming to Victory Field and how it's going 25 00:01:03,640 --> 00:01:07,080 Speaker 2: to sort of change the ballpark for twenty six, which 26 00:01:07,160 --> 00:01:09,880 Speaker 2: is one of the leading destinations every year for thousands 27 00:01:09,920 --> 00:01:11,679 Speaker 2: of families of downtown Indianapolis. 28 00:01:11,760 --> 00:01:15,959 Speaker 3: Well, we opened the ballpark on July eleventh of nineteen 29 00:01:16,040 --> 00:01:20,840 Speaker 3: ninety six, and the seats are the same seats by 30 00:01:20,920 --> 00:01:24,360 Speaker 3: and large that we had going on thirty years ago. 31 00:01:24,600 --> 00:01:29,600 Speaker 3: So after next season we're going to be replacing at 32 00:01:29,680 --> 00:01:31,920 Speaker 3: least half of them, if not all of them. We 33 00:01:31,959 --> 00:01:34,640 Speaker 3: may stagger them between two different offseasons, so we might 34 00:01:34,680 --> 00:01:37,679 Speaker 3: do the lower bowl on you know, after the ninety 35 00:01:37,680 --> 00:01:40,000 Speaker 3: six season, and or the com story of the twenty 36 00:01:40,040 --> 00:01:43,880 Speaker 3: sixth season, and the upper Bowl after the twenty seventh season. 37 00:01:44,560 --> 00:01:48,920 Speaker 3: And you know, like I said, these seats have been 38 00:01:48,920 --> 00:01:53,040 Speaker 3: there since July eleventh of ninety six, and while we're 39 00:01:53,040 --> 00:01:54,960 Speaker 3: at it, we may carve out a couple of little 40 00:01:54,960 --> 00:01:56,120 Speaker 3: different areas too. 41 00:01:55,960 --> 00:01:57,760 Speaker 1: But that's kind of still on the drawing board. 42 00:01:58,240 --> 00:02:00,720 Speaker 2: So how long does a seat at a prope sports 43 00:02:00,760 --> 00:02:03,760 Speaker 2: stadium normally last? I mean, you think about, wow, thirty years. 44 00:02:03,760 --> 00:02:06,520 Speaker 2: But you've got people sitting you know, what is it 45 00:02:06,760 --> 00:02:09,160 Speaker 2: seventy seventy times a year in the seat? The amount 46 00:02:09,160 --> 00:02:10,760 Speaker 2: of times you get folded for? Like, how long does 47 00:02:10,760 --> 00:02:12,560 Speaker 2: a seat normally last? 48 00:02:13,120 --> 00:02:16,520 Speaker 3: We've done really well to get thirty years out of it. Frankly, 49 00:02:17,120 --> 00:02:20,120 Speaker 3: I think in most venues they probably changed them more. 50 00:02:21,600 --> 00:02:22,160 Speaker 1: Frequently. 51 00:02:22,480 --> 00:02:25,679 Speaker 3: We have certainly have had our share of parts replaced 52 00:02:25,680 --> 00:02:28,360 Speaker 3: and this and that, but we've gotten to the point 53 00:02:28,400 --> 00:02:30,840 Speaker 3: now that they're old enough that you can't find the 54 00:02:30,880 --> 00:02:36,519 Speaker 3: parts anymore. So we've tried to be frugal with our 55 00:02:36,560 --> 00:02:40,840 Speaker 3: money and with the cib's money. But thirty years, i'd 56 00:02:40,840 --> 00:02:45,079 Speaker 3: say is pretty long in the tooth for seeds. 57 00:02:45,520 --> 00:02:48,960 Speaker 2: Well, will you continue on with the green color? And 58 00:02:49,000 --> 00:02:51,919 Speaker 2: what's going to happen to the existing plaques that are 59 00:02:51,919 --> 00:02:53,000 Speaker 2: on the seats. 60 00:02:54,000 --> 00:02:56,840 Speaker 3: We will continue on with the green color. We're still 61 00:02:56,840 --> 00:02:59,200 Speaker 3: works one exactly what happens with the nameplace. 62 00:03:00,000 --> 00:03:03,240 Speaker 2: Bruce Schumacher, chairman of the Indianapolis Indians, is our guest. 63 00:03:03,240 --> 00:03:05,400 Speaker 2: We're talking about the big renovations going on to Victory 64 00:03:05,400 --> 00:03:07,919 Speaker 2: Field that will begin next year. So one of the 65 00:03:07,919 --> 00:03:09,680 Speaker 2: things I love about you guys is you always come 66 00:03:09,760 --> 00:03:12,200 Speaker 2: with skin in the game. It's not just a government handout. 67 00:03:12,240 --> 00:03:13,919 Speaker 2: You guys are actually paying a big part of this freight. 68 00:03:14,760 --> 00:03:17,359 Speaker 3: Yeah, we will certainly be partners in this, that's right. 69 00:03:18,240 --> 00:03:23,040 Speaker 2: So let's talk about Victory Field as a destination as 70 00:03:23,040 --> 00:03:26,440 Speaker 2: a tourist attraction, like how many people come through the 71 00:03:26,520 --> 00:03:29,160 Speaker 2: turnstiles of Victory Field every single year. 72 00:03:29,200 --> 00:03:30,000 Speaker 1: Giver take. 73 00:03:31,840 --> 00:03:35,440 Speaker 3: Usually in the vicinity of six hundred thousand ben attendance 74 00:03:35,480 --> 00:03:38,360 Speaker 3: in a season, and that's across what we now play 75 00:03:38,440 --> 00:03:41,520 Speaker 3: is is seventy five home games. Now there's other things 76 00:03:41,520 --> 00:03:43,480 Speaker 3: that go on there too. We host the high school 77 00:03:43,480 --> 00:03:47,720 Speaker 3: baseball finals, we host the county and city championships. We 78 00:03:47,880 --> 00:03:51,360 Speaker 3: usually have a couple of college games. We have four 79 00:03:51,400 --> 00:03:53,600 Speaker 3: teams in the Victory Field Classics, so we've got other 80 00:03:53,680 --> 00:03:58,120 Speaker 3: things going on there besides Indianapolis Indians games, but certainly 81 00:03:58,160 --> 00:04:02,600 Speaker 3: in the vicinity of six hundred thousand for just Indians game. 82 00:04:02,760 --> 00:04:04,960 Speaker 2: Can I remember, even as several years ago it's been 83 00:04:05,000 --> 00:04:07,480 Speaker 2: maybe ten years ago now, there were high school I 84 00:04:07,480 --> 00:04:10,880 Speaker 2: remember announcing a high school football game at Victory Field. 85 00:04:11,160 --> 00:04:14,040 Speaker 3: Yeah, we experimented with that for a while. It was 86 00:04:14,680 --> 00:04:17,880 Speaker 3: challenging to make it work given the configuration of the field, 87 00:04:17,720 --> 00:04:19,040 Speaker 3: but it was novel. 88 00:04:19,240 --> 00:04:20,360 Speaker 1: I'm glad to we at least tried it. 89 00:04:20,680 --> 00:04:23,159 Speaker 2: Bruce Schumacher, chairman of the Indianapolis Indians, is our guest. 90 00:04:23,200 --> 00:04:25,839 Speaker 2: All right, So, speaking of coming through the turnstiles, what 91 00:04:25,960 --> 00:04:29,120 Speaker 2: this is the public's last opportunity this weekend to visit 92 00:04:29,720 --> 00:04:32,280 Speaker 2: in the Indianapolis Indians and Victory Field this year. 93 00:04:33,040 --> 00:04:34,440 Speaker 3: You know, I've been to this a long time, and 94 00:04:34,880 --> 00:04:38,000 Speaker 3: every March we get ready to get started. It seems 95 00:04:38,080 --> 00:04:40,200 Speaker 3: like the season will go on till the end of 96 00:04:40,279 --> 00:04:44,120 Speaker 3: time and then you homeman by homestand you end up 97 00:04:44,120 --> 00:04:47,640 Speaker 3: at this point, we're essentially all been done. So we 98 00:04:47,720 --> 00:04:51,640 Speaker 3: played tonight at seven oh five fireworks after the game, 99 00:04:51,680 --> 00:04:56,359 Speaker 3: Tonight tomorrow at six thirty five fireworks after the game, 100 00:04:56,880 --> 00:04:58,880 Speaker 3: and then Sunday at one thirty five. This is our 101 00:04:58,920 --> 00:05:02,880 Speaker 3: fan appreciation can so we'll be doing lots of giveaways 102 00:05:02,880 --> 00:05:03,440 Speaker 3: for fans. 103 00:05:04,000 --> 00:05:09,200 Speaker 1: Uh. We've got remember Mark Summers from uh yeah double there. Yeah, 104 00:05:09,760 --> 00:05:10,200 Speaker 1: he's going. 105 00:05:10,120 --> 00:05:12,200 Speaker 3: To be at the ballpark tonight helping us do some 106 00:05:12,240 --> 00:05:14,680 Speaker 3: fun games throughout the evening. 107 00:05:14,800 --> 00:05:16,800 Speaker 1: So we're looking forward to having him. 108 00:05:16,839 --> 00:05:19,280 Speaker 3: Any Indianapolis native by the way, went to North Central 109 00:05:19,360 --> 00:05:22,760 Speaker 3: High School. Uh, and so that that'll be fun tonight 110 00:05:22,839 --> 00:05:27,880 Speaker 3: and then various giveaways. What we've got scratch offs and 111 00:05:28,520 --> 00:05:30,840 Speaker 3: card sets and all kinds of stuff we're doing for 112 00:05:30,839 --> 00:05:31,680 Speaker 3: folks this weekend. 113 00:05:31,839 --> 00:05:34,039 Speaker 2: First, you're supposed to have some great weather tonight for 114 00:05:34,080 --> 00:05:37,120 Speaker 2: the fireworks. But as the season winds down, do you 115 00:05:37,279 --> 00:05:41,200 Speaker 2: look back and does one thing stick out as being 116 00:05:41,320 --> 00:05:43,479 Speaker 2: memorable of the season to you? 117 00:05:44,720 --> 00:05:46,680 Speaker 3: I think a couple of things, and sometimes it's not 118 00:05:46,720 --> 00:05:51,160 Speaker 3: always a good thing. It was so hot there for 119 00:05:51,200 --> 00:05:53,919 Speaker 3: a while that that was really challenging weather for people 120 00:05:53,960 --> 00:05:57,120 Speaker 3: to come to ball games. But but now we have 121 00:05:57,240 --> 00:06:02,880 Speaker 3: transitioned into this idyllic weather for baseball, you know, hot days, 122 00:06:03,000 --> 00:06:06,400 Speaker 3: cool nights. As you said, it looks like it's gonna 123 00:06:06,400 --> 00:06:11,720 Speaker 3: be fantastic these last three days. Pretty good team all 124 00:06:11,760 --> 00:06:13,599 Speaker 3: in all, we're going to finish fourth out of twenty 125 00:06:13,640 --> 00:06:17,400 Speaker 3: teams in our league. Unfortunately, it's the toughest playoff in sports. 126 00:06:17,400 --> 00:06:20,560 Speaker 3: Only the top two teams get in out of twenty. 127 00:06:20,600 --> 00:06:23,480 Speaker 3: But we've played well, We've had a lot of guys 128 00:06:23,480 --> 00:06:26,600 Speaker 3: go with the big leagues, and you know, it's been 129 00:06:26,600 --> 00:06:28,000 Speaker 3: another great year at Victory Field. 130 00:06:28,160 --> 00:06:28,360 Speaker 1: Yeah. 131 00:06:28,360 --> 00:06:30,839 Speaker 2: And they're playing the Iowa Cubs this weekend. Tons of 132 00:06:30,839 --> 00:06:33,640 Speaker 2: Cubs fans obviously in central Indiana. Great chance to see 133 00:06:33,720 --> 00:06:35,760 Speaker 2: some guys who may eventually be on or have been 134 00:06:35,800 --> 00:06:38,160 Speaker 2: on the major league roster for the Iowa Cubs. And 135 00:06:38,200 --> 00:06:40,560 Speaker 2: to the Chicago Cubs, Bruce, we'll get you out of 136 00:06:40,560 --> 00:06:41,760 Speaker 2: here with this, because I was meaning to ask you 137 00:06:41,760 --> 00:06:44,320 Speaker 2: the last time you were on who is the greatest 138 00:06:44,360 --> 00:06:45,960 Speaker 2: Indianapolis Indian of all time? 139 00:06:47,760 --> 00:06:51,120 Speaker 3: Well, you'd have to say that Razor Shines is the 140 00:06:51,160 --> 00:06:55,640 Speaker 3: most popular when you get down to the greatest, then 141 00:06:55,640 --> 00:06:57,800 Speaker 3: you get into the question, Okay, we're talking about greatest 142 00:06:57,800 --> 00:06:59,640 Speaker 3: what he did in Indianapolis or greatest what he went 143 00:06:59,680 --> 00:07:03,200 Speaker 3: on to do. If you talk about guys who went 144 00:07:03,240 --> 00:07:05,680 Speaker 3: on to be Hall of famers, you'd have to mention 145 00:07:05,800 --> 00:07:10,640 Speaker 3: guys like Tom mcchillebrew or Larry Walker or Randy Johnson, 146 00:07:11,960 --> 00:07:14,280 Speaker 3: Andrew McCutchen who's playing for the Pirates right now. That 147 00:07:14,920 --> 00:07:18,080 Speaker 3: was outstanding for us with outstanding for them. 148 00:07:18,440 --> 00:07:19,000 Speaker 1: A lot of. 149 00:07:18,920 --> 00:07:20,840 Speaker 3: Great names over the years, that's for sure. A lot 150 00:07:20,880 --> 00:07:22,880 Speaker 3: a lot of the big Red Machine teams of the 151 00:07:22,920 --> 00:07:25,720 Speaker 3: seventies had Indians players on them, so. 152 00:07:27,200 --> 00:07:28,640 Speaker 1: Rich legacy that way. Yeah. 153 00:07:28,680 --> 00:07:30,640 Speaker 2: But if we're just say the face of the Indians 154 00:07:30,680 --> 00:07:33,560 Speaker 2: as in the franchise itself, would it be Razor Shines? 155 00:07:34,040 --> 00:07:36,120 Speaker 1: I get that go with Razor? Yeah, yeah, very good. 156 00:07:36,120 --> 00:07:36,760 Speaker 2: Hard to argue with that. 157 00:07:36,760 --> 00:07:39,720 Speaker 1: All right, Hey, Bruce Man, real quick, he's going to 158 00:07:39,760 --> 00:07:40,200 Speaker 1: be in town. 159 00:07:40,240 --> 00:07:43,160 Speaker 3: We've got a fundraiser that he's going to be in 160 00:07:43,200 --> 00:07:48,880 Speaker 3: town on September twenty sixth, so that'll be entertaining as well. 161 00:07:48,760 --> 00:07:50,240 Speaker 2: I love it all right, Bruce. Thanks for all you 162 00:07:50,240 --> 00:07:52,200 Speaker 2: guys do. The Indians are an awesome partner with the 163 00:07:52,200 --> 00:07:54,960 Speaker 2: City of Indianapolis, Central Indiana. You guys are the best 164 00:07:55,000 --> 00:07:57,120 Speaker 2: and enjoy the weekend and good luck. 165 00:07:57,480 --> 00:07:58,480 Speaker 1: Thanks to both of you.