Eat*Drink*Cleveland

In the Park Homerun - Indians Townhall Meeting with Mark Shapiro

Last week was a week full of the Cleveland Indians for me. First I attended the Indians Tweetup, then I ended the week with a Townhall Meeting with Indians President Mark Shapiro! I was so excited to be invited to this event because I love baseball and I'm a huge Indians fan.

There was a full house at the Terrace Club as everyone gathered to hear Mark Shapiro speak and ask him all the questions you always want to ask. For the record, Moneyball is "all Hollywood."

We started out with a great lunch - including the mandatory (in my opinion!) hot dog!

Nothing beats a ballpark hotdog!

what a tasty lunch!

After we feasted and caught up with favorite Tweeps, Mark Shapiro took the mic. He was warm, forthcoming, honest and really funny as he answered questions and mingled with the crowd.

Big news - he reads EVERY Tweet! Follow along @MarkShapiro. He may not reply to everyone, but he' really listening. He also said that another Townhall in the future is likely. Thanks to Mark Shapiro, the Indians are really committed to their social media fans.

We also learned that the team's #1 goal is winning the World Series (yes!). I love that they set their sights high and are constantly striving to be the best. He said that their commitments are:

1. Baseball - Obviously, this comes first!

2. Fans - we talk, they listen! From changing their rules on re-entry to creating the Kids Clubhouse, the Indians try to be the best team in the league at showing their appreciation for the fans.

3. Ballpark -They want to maintain and improve Progressive Field to keep up with the next generation of baseball fans.

4. Community - There are so many charities that benefit from the ball club and they have a ton of green initiatives. Have you seen the wind turbine?

@TLColson, @LaVieBoheme73, me and @WhyCLE

never thought I'd get this lucky!

After the Townhall, I'm even more excited about our team and the season. While we won't be seeing Manny Ramirez make a return anytime soon, there's a lot to look forward to. I'm especially looking forward to making my first appearance at the Cleveland Indians Social Suite next month.

Don't forget to vote for the All Star game!

If you aren't familiar with the Social Dudes, be sure to check out their post too.