The Sugar Land Skeeters are having a successful season as the Astros’ new Triple A affiliate, and General Manager Tyler Stamm is glad to be back to baseball and filling seats.
Stamm has been with the Skeeters since 2012 and has seen more than 500 games at Constellation Field in Sugar Land. He discussed learning the Skeeters had been brought into the Astros organization, last year’s pandemic season, and starting more than $10 million in renovations.
After operating independently for nine years, the Skeeters were ready to raise their caliber of play in the Triple A, Stamm said. He explained that the change has brought in a whole new base of fans.
“This entire city is Astros hungry and baseball hungry,” Stamm said, adding that Houston baseball fans are still enjoying the World Series win in 2017 and the team’s successes since.
With their new affiliation, the Skeeters have welcomed more fans with players like Astros pitcher Lance McCullers Jr., who had a rehab start with the Skeeters in June. Regular Skeeters catcher Garrett Stubbs has been able to play some games with the Astros, and first-third baseman Abraham Toro played with the Skeeters and was called up to the Astros.
Stamm explained that having a Major League Baseball team and its affiliate less than 25 miles apart has its advantages.
“So to have that local connection, you know, it’s not like we’re affiliated with some other team out of state like a lot of minor league teams are,” Stamm said. “We are literally in the same market, and so we are able to reach that new fan that we didn’t have before: the Astros fan.”
The Skeeters had been a part of the Atlantic League for eight seasons before 2020. When the pandemic broke out in March 2020, the Skeeters knew their season wasn’t going to work because all their competitors were in the northeastern United States where flying would be necessary to travel to games.
Minor League Baseball announced it was canceling its season in June 2020. The Skeeters held a few events at Constellation Field to generate some cash flow. Former Major League pitcher Roger Clemens attended one and pitched the idea of starting a small league with teams from around the area in order to let players play and keep the game going.
The pandemic league held its opening day 43 days later. The Eastern Reyes del Tigre and the Sugar Land Lightning Sloths were created from scratch and played the Skeeters and Clemens’ Team Texas. Stamm said 56 games over 40 event days brought out decent crowds.
“It was fun. It brought some sense of normalcy in a not normal year, even at the height of the pandemic, and we did it in a safe way,” he said.
Just as the pandemic league wrapped up, Stamm learned the Skeeters would become the Astros Triple A affiliate. More than $8 million in renovations were made at Constellation Field to prepare for the step up.
Many of the improvements were done to align with player development license standards for affiliated teams. Walls were knocked down and rebuilt. Adding a weight room, female locker room (for female coaches and umpires), a kitchen downstairs for the home club and moving and air-conditioning the batting cages were some of the upgrades.
Stamm said more than $2 million in fan-centered renovations are also planned. Some projects include updating 25 Insperity Club suites and the center field playground area, refreshing seating, and relocating and expanding the team’s store.
Stamm said the city of Sugar Land is funding $10 million of improvements, and the Astros organization will fund any beyond that amount. He said the final number will exceed $10 million, but a final budget has not been set.
The Sugar Land Skeeters have frequent events and giveaways at games. The 1980s cover band The Spazmatics are regulars at Constellation Field and are slated to play after the game on Friday, Aug. 13. The first 1,500 fans on Saturday, July 31, will receive Skeeters mascot Swatson bobbleheads.
Also, Major League Baseball has extended the Triple A season, so the team is set to play five extra games at the end, pushing play into early October.
Going into this 2021 season was challenging for Stamm as the pandemic was still pressing down hard. The organization was preparing to have reduced capacity and socially distanced crowds up until two weeks before opening day. Then guidelines changed. Plans had to be constantly adapted and ultimately came together in a couple of months. As the pandemic is improving, Stamm looks forward to being able to plan further out in the future to offer fans a “more complete experience.”
While the Skeeters and Astros are in the same metropolitan area, Stamm explained they are two different products. He said fans’ experience at an Astros game will often be largely determined by what happens on the field. But the Skeeters, Stamm said, are a family-friendly, affordable form of entertainment where they just hope nine of out 10 people say they had a good time, even if they can’t recall the final score.
Stamm said Skeeters fans have been “unbelievably” excited to be back at the ballpark and watching their new Triple A team play. Ticket sales have been strong. During one game, Stamm felt chills at the roar of a fuller stadium, something he hadn’t heard in a year and a half.
“But it’s feeling more and more normal every day, which is great.”
To learn more about the Sugar Land Skeeters or to buy tickets, visit milb.com/sugar-land.
tracy.maness@hcnonline.com
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