BY JOE FAVORITO

NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM

ON N.J. SPORTS MARKETING

Maybe it's the ties to their storied parent clubs, the New York Yankees and the Philadelphia Phillies. Maybe it's more location, being just off the 1-95 corridor and a stone's throw from Princeton as well as being in the heart of the Jersey Shore. Maybe it's the lure of being that much closer to future MLB players than to some who have played in the past. Maybe it's because they have been at it longer, have stronger ownership bases, and are more staples of the community year round. For whatever the reason, as the Sussex Skyhawks of the Can-Am League folded and the Newark Bears moved from the Atlantic League to the other independent league, their struggling Can-Am, the Trenton Thunder and Lakewood Blue Claws continued to thrive.

As New Jersey struggles through the snowiest January on record, the Thunder and the Blue Claws have warmed up the hot stove for baseball fans, extending their brand marketing arm through the winter with new promotions, new business partners and even more events away from baseball, ranging from concerts to sponsored 5k runs and charity events. The two teams are annually not just at or near the top in minor league attendance, they are frequently cited by Minor League Baseball for innovative promotions and an atmosphere that rivals their Major League brethren, at a fraction of the cost.