Despite being in Major League Baseball for the last 16 years, Owensboro’s own Dinger Bats has finally made it to The Show.
When MLB The Show 21 was released Tuesday, Dinger Bats was in the game for the first time, which is a big step forward said Shane Shephard, Dinger’s director of sales and business development.
Shepherd said being in the game takes the company to a different level but it wasn’t an easy road.
“You don’t want to overuse the phrase but realistically it’s a huge stepping stone for that saying ‘You made it to the show,’” he said. “There’s a pun there but then again, there’s not. We’ve been in the game, this is our 16th year in Major League Baseball so we’ve been on the field for a long time but to be on the game that represents that show, that stage, it brings a portion of legitimacy to what we already know to be true.
“It’s been something we’ve wanted to do for a long time. We felt like there was a roadblock, we felt like we got a smidge over the roadblock then there was a lot of work to rebuild that road. We finally got it, we’re in. Now we’re starting to do the huge marketing side of it.”
The process started about three years for Shepherd but he didn’t get very far on the initial attempt.
It wasn’t until spring training that year that he met someone else in the business and after talking with them, he finally had his in.
But, there wasn’t just one person for Shepherd to contact as he had many avenues he had to venture down to get approval.
“It was a huge process and something we were very stoked to get done but it’s been such an undertaking,” he said.
When the process eventually started, Shepherd and Dinger went into gathering mode as they needed to send the necessary materials to Sony, the MLB and the MLB Players Association.
“It was a massive, months on months process to get them everything they needed, just to get us a yes,” he said. “About eight or nine months ago, I got the yes.”
During this time, Shepherd had to keep the news in house as even the slightest leak could hinder the process.
He said that made it even more grueling in that he couldn’t tell those around him the good news.
“When you can’t tell anybody anything, it makes marketing tough,” he said.
Now that they’re in what is the most recognizable baseball video game, Dinger Bats is now in the hands of more casual fans that wouldn’t necessarily know the company from their work in the MLB for nearly the last two decades.
Shepherd said this opens up more doors for them.
“In today’s society of how engulfed the players and the people are in the games, it brings up an avenue to get to my marketing work a little easier,” he said.
Dinger Bats has four models in the video game and those can be unlocked by achieving different accomplishments. In addition, it also has gear that can be worn by the players as well.
When the game had its early release, Shepherd said he received many screenshots from the game from fans.
He said given his job, he’s gotten to experience many things most fans don’t.
“Different stuff I’ve been accustomed to and it’s fun but this ranks right up there,” he said. “It’s not just one players. All of our guys are going to have them in hands. Now all of our fans are going to be able to do whatever they need to do to accomplish to get them in the packs … It’s going to be fun. I’m excited about it.”
