The Indians are “scrapping the Snow Days concept after a disappointing year,” and another event “may take its place, but not this year,” according to Michael McIntyre of the Cleveland PLAIN DEALER. Snow Days ran for the last two years at Progressive Field “offering paying customers a chance to slide on an inner tube down a hill that began in the stands and offered plenty of ice skating, plus extremely popular hockey games.” But Indians President Mark Shapiro said that “schedules didn't line up for games this year and the organization decided to ‘pull back.’" Shapiro said, "We want to make sure that what we have is an event, rather than something that's expected." He added, "To ramp up for this for two years was a stress operationally." However, Shapiro “still considers Snow Days a success.” It showed “what the organization can do, and it introduced new people to the Progressive Field venue.” But its problem “was the same one the Indians have: Not enough people came” (Cleveland PLAIN DEALER, 6/2). Indians Senior Communications Dir Curtis Danburg said that the team is “going to evaluate hosting potential professional or college hockey match-ups and alternative winter experiences in the off season, but that this might not be the end of Snow Days.” Danburg said that the Indians “will continue to seek out ways to connect with fans outside of baseball, which could include reintroducing an enhanced version of Snow Days in the coming years” (CLEVELANDLEADER.com, 6/2).
