In the Stands
SPECTATORS, ca.1935. Leslie Jones Collection, BPL Print Department.
Major League Baseball’s first commissioner, Kenesaw Mountain Landis, leans on the railing at Braves Field, watching the action. Red Sox owner Tom Yawkey is seated to Landis’s left in the background.
Even with the new stadium, Braves game attendance lagged far behind that of Boston's perenially popular American League team, the Red Sox. However, the Braves did boast a loyal corps of fans who supported the team, season after season.
To boost ticket sales, publicity director Billy Sullivan—future owner of the Patriots professional football team—introduced a variety of new marketing strategies, including night baseball games featuring players wearing special satin uniforms to increase visibility, fan appreciation days, and the first color highlight films.
