Who Are Those Crazy People Who Make So Much Noise at Crushers Games?

Yelling at the umpires, ringing cow bells and blowing air horns. Who are these people who get so worked up at a baseball game? Can’t they just sit back and watch the game like we watch Major League games on our TV at home?

A lot of the crazy people are members of the Crushers Booster Club. They know the players; they root, root, root for the home team and they make a lot of noise! They invite you to make noise at the games too! (Visit us at our table on the 3rd base side of the concourse to purchase your noise makers!)

Crushers Booster Club was formed almost 4 years ago after some fans realized, in the second season, how much the Boys of Summer gave up to play in an Independent League where the salary cap for a team is $72,000. “Real” jobs were given up, moves were made to stay with host families and spouses were left behind for the summer. When an emergency struck at home for a player, fans joined together to pay for the airline ticket to rush him home.  This led to discussions in the stands about a booster club and how to start one.

Crushers Booster Club was formed at the end of that 2010 season and after an off-season of an executive committee writing By-laws, the club came to life in spring 2011. The main focus of the booster club is to provide the little things that can make a difference to the team. The Crushers Booster Club provides players bottled water, sports drinks and their favorite snacks for road trips; reward each player who makes the All Stars with $50 gift certificates to Dicks Sporting Goods; and help individual players when they need emergency funds.

In mid-season 2012, the Crushers Booster Club voted to do provide road trip goodies for the Road Warriors after the Rippers went under and left the players of that team homeless and a travel team. This year, the booster club is also providing water, sports drinks and snacks to the Frontier League Greys, the league’s travel team.

Providing drinks, snacks and other goodies to two teams costs a few bucks (approximately $200 per three-day road trip.) To raise funds, they have a few fundraisers during the baseball season. They also take donations of water, sports drinks and snacks.

Each May there is a Welcome Back Crushers fundraiser at Two Bucks, Avon. Mid-season there is another celebration at Two Bucks, Avon – the All Star Break Dinner.  The End-of-Season Picnic is bittersweet and much fun for everyone. All of these events are well attended by booster club members, fans and host families. Crushers players eat free at each event, a fee is charged for other guests.

Throughout the baseball season, three 50/50’s are held at home games. 

A new fundraiser this year is the Owners Suite Raffle. For $10 per raffle ticket, one has a chance to win use of the suite for one of the remaining games this year. Tickets are on sale from each booster club member and at each home game through the 5th inning of the August 5 game.  The suite seats 15 people and includes tickets to the game of your choice. Stop by the Crushers Booster Club table on the 3rd base side of the concourse to find out more about the Crushers Booster Club, buy your noise makers and purchase your raffle ticket at each home game. Someone will be there the first three innings of each game. (Hey – we have to get to our seats, watch the game, yell at the umpires and make some noise!)