2010 MLB Training and Designated Driver Awards

11/16/2010

TEAM Coalition Announces 2010
Alcohol Management Training and Designated Driver “All Stars”
back
For Immediate Release
Contact: Jill Pepper, TEAM Coalition, jill@teamcoalition.org (703) 647-7431
(Orlando, FL) TEAM Coalition (Techniques for Effective Alcohol Management) proudly recognized this year’s training certification and designated-driver program award winners at the 2010 MLB Industry meetings on Monday November 15, 2010.TEAM Coalition is a unique alliance of professional and collegiate sports, entertainment facilities, concessionaires, stadium service providers, the beer industry, broadcasters, governmental traffic safety experts, and others working together to promote responsible drinking and positive fan behavior at sports and entertainment facilities. Click for a complete list of TEAM Coalition members.

“We’re especially proud of the breadth of the winners of our training certification awards this season,” said Jill Pepper, TEAM executive director. “To have thirteen MLB Clubs earn the Prestigious Achievement award by certifying 100% of the total operations staff is truly remarkable. It is a testament to MLB’s commitment to employee training and its positive impact on fan behavior.”

In 2010, more than 40,000 employees from over 100 facilities became certified in the training. The 13,000 Major League Baseball operations employees (ushers, ticket takers, and guest services representatives) and the employees of concessionaire companies at MLB ballparks represented 30% of that total.


Back Row left to right: Bob Hallas, Milwaukee Brewers; Declan Mullin, Cincinnati Reds; Earnell Lucas, MLB; Mike Hill, Chicago Cubs.Middle Row left to right: Jill Pepper, TEAM Coalition; Mike Ball, St. Louis Cardinals; Russ Amaral, Arizona Diamondbacks; Mike Smith, Texas Rangers; Sylvester Servance, Seattle Mariners.Front Row left to right: Patrick Forsland, Minnesota Twins; Cindy Richards, St. Louis Cardinals; Kevin Kahn, Colorado Rockies; Jeff Podobnik, Pittsburgh Pirates; Brad Mohr, Cleveland Indians; Mark Guglielmo, San Diego Padres.
2010 TEAM Training Award Winners
Prestigious Achievement
These award winners have made TEAM training a fundamental part of employee training. 100% of their entire employee roster are certified in TEAM training. On an annual basis, they maintain that commitment to TEAM training by certifying all new employees and recertifying those whose 3-year certification term has expired.

  • Arizona Diamondbacks, 695 employees certified
  • Baltimore Orioles, 282 employees certified
  • Chicago Cubs, 631 employees certified
  • Chicago White Sox, 1,690 employees certified
  • Cincinnati Reds, 714 employees certified
  • Cleveland Indians, 941 employees certified
  • Colorado Rockies, 666 employees certified
  • Kansas City Royals, 563 employees certified
  • Minnesota Twins, 553 employees certified
  • Pittsburgh Pirates, 766 employees certified
  • St. Louis Cardinals, 617 employees certified
  • San Diego Padres, 456 employees certified
  • Texas Rangers, 1,092 employees certified
Excellent Performers
These award winners certified the number of operations employees this season equal to at least 50% of the number of employees needed to staff an average game.

  • Oakland Athletics, 129 employees certified
  • Seattle Mariners, 127 employees certified
Over 400,000 MLB fans pledged to be designated drivers during the 2010 MLB season. That is a 10% increase over the 365,000 designated drivers in 2009. The Designated Drivers for the Season from the San Francisco Giants, Catherine Acosta, and the Texas Rangers, Vicki Boggs, attended World Series Games 1 and 3, respectively, as the grand prize winners of the Responsibility Has Its Rewards sweepstakes for designated drivers.At the MLB Industry meetings, the Designated Driver for the Season for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Jim Reese, was selected as the first prize winner of the Responsibility Has Its Rewards sweepstakes. Jim and a guest will attend the 2011 MLB All-Star Game and Home Run Derby at Chase Field in Phoenix, AZ home of the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Baseball Commissioner Allan H. (Bud) Selig said, “Alcohol management training is vital to making our ball parks a safe, fan-friendly place for our great fans, and I congratulate these seven MLB clubs for being recognized by the TEAM Coalition.”

2010 Designated Driver Award Winners
Top Five Clubs with Most Fans Pledging to be Designated Drivers

  • St. Louis Cardinals, 55,624
  • Milwaukee Brewers, 54,026
  • Detroit Tigers, 28,263
  • Houston Astros, 26,917
  • San Francisco Giants, 16,200
Greatest Increase in Designated Drivers

  • New York Yankees, 4 times more designated drivers than 2009
  • San Diego Padres, 2 times more designated drivers than 2009