For Minor League Baseball, Bobbleheads Are Serious Business

In July, "Goonies" star Corey Feldman and two scantily clad angels struck out, so to speak, after a single-A baseball game in University Park, Pennsylvania. Their (too) late-night concert led to an apology from the State College Spikes to fans (who had expected an autograph-signing event) as well as nasty tweets from the star.

Feldman's unfortunate performance will be just one of the major conversation topics among folks from 160 front-office staffs during theMinor League Baseball Promotional Seminar, starting Sept. 29 at the Greater Columbus Convention Center.

Signing events, hot dog races, game-day fireworks and Dime-A-Dog nights are some of the colorful promotions used to supplement home runs (or lack thereof) for the league. Jeff Lantz, director of communications for Minor League Baseball, measures the success of a promotion by attendance and fan participation (costumes and tweets make him happy).

The organization even presents a Golden Bobblehead Award at the conference for the most successful ideas. What works? Food promos, Star Wars costumes, Seinfeld tributes. What doesn't? Former childhood actors forcing late-night concerts on fans.milb.com