Tag Archives: major league baseball

Flexential® Partners with Major League Baseball to Bring a New Data Center Infrastructure Online to Service MLB’s Digital Platform Growth

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Expansion in Denver will support millions of baseball fans’ digital experiences across MLB’s interactive media products and services with infrastructure powered by sustainability features

Denver, CO – June 26, 2019 (PRNewswire) Baseball fans consume games in a variety of ways as they follow their favorite teams and player throughout a season, including across multiple digital platforms built and operated by Major League Baseball (MLB). Those unique digital touchpoint experiences will benefit from a new technology partnership announced today between Flexential, a leading provider of data centers and hybrid IT solutions, and MLB. This summer Flexential will be bringing a new state-of-the-art infrastructure online to effectively support and scale MLB’s requirements for servicing its digital product platforms.

“We always strive to deliver our fans uninterrupted, high-quality access to MLB content at every step of their consumption experiences,” said Truman Boyes, MLB Senior Vice President, Infrastructure. “To meet these expectations requires a data management system with highly reliable, scalable and proximity-based data centers. Flexential was able to respond to our needs in record time with an environmentally-responsible infrastructure to support us as we serve our Clubs and their fans.”

Flexential’s Denver-Englewood data center will complement the league’s east coast presence by providing a secure central location that reduces the latency by more than half, while serving the connectivity and resiliency requirements for MLB. Being closer to the user enhances real-time performance, provides higher availability, and better overall customer experience. This makes it possible for MLB to serve the needs of its 30 Clubs across the country, and end users throughout the U.S., creating solutions at the Edge—right where customers want access to data.

The Flexential Denver-Englewood site also has an industry-leading Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) rating and uses power from Xcel Energy that is 28 percent solar or wind generated. MLB wanted to partner with an organization that understands sustainability and focuses on using both renewable energy and green products whenever possible.

Flexential’s site also provides MLB easy access to their cloud partners by offering a choice of cloud access solutions at speeds from 100Mb to 100Gb. With Flexential’s national 100Gb, highly reliable and scalable backbone, these services are easy to provision and deploy.

“As demand for online sports media continues to increase, our data center sites throughout the country are fully equipped to provide the reliability, connectivity, and comprehensive service package needed to support this growing online media platform,” said Chris Downie, Flexential CEO. “With the number of active internet-connected devices expected to grow to 20 billion by next year, the soaring bandwidth and network demands will also explode. MLB’s example of taking the connectivity to the Edge is proof you can overcome those obstacles to provide the seamless user experience every baseball fan wants.”

Online viewing of sports on mobile devices is growing, with a recent Google study indicating 80 percent of sports fans say they use a computer or smartphone while watching live sports on TV to search for player stats or scores, and 30 percent of fans live stream sporting events to their smartphones or tablets.

“As a millennial baseball fan, I want to be connected to the game at all times. In fact, advancements in technology allow me to live stream games, check fantasy scores, keep tabs on divisional races, and watch and share highlights on social, all in the palm of my hand. I feel like part of the game at any time and any place,” said 26-year-old Christian Schneider, Rockies fan and former collegiate and professional pitcher from Parker, CO.

To learn more about Flexential’s colocation solutions, click here.

About Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is the most historic professional sports league in the United States and consists of 30 member clubs in the U.S. and Canada, representing the highest level of professional baseball. Major League Baseball is the best-attended sport in North America, and since 2004, MLB has enjoyed its best-attended seasons in the history of the game. Led by Commissioner Robert D. Manfred, Jr., MLB currently features record levels of labor peace, competitive balance and industry revenues, as well as the most comprehensive drug-testing program in American professional sports. MLB remains committed to making an impact in the communities of the U.S., Canada and throughout the world, perpetuating the sport’s larger role in society and permeating every facet of baseball’s business, marketing and community relations endeavors. With the continued success of MLB Network and MLB digital platforms, MLB continues to find innovative ways for its fans to enjoy America’s National Pastime and a truly global game. For more information on Major League Baseball, visit www.MLB.com.

About Flexential
Flexential offers flexible and essential services that help organizations optimize their journey of IT transformation while simultaneously balancing cost, scalability, compliance and security. The company is committed to building trusted relationships and delivering tailored solutions that suit the individual needs of its customers. Flexential is deeply invested in the success of its customers, who trust it to deliver core data center solutions of colocation and connectivity, as well as cloud, managed solutions and professional services. Flexential’s robust suite of assets spans 21 markets and comprises 40 highly redundant and connectivity-rich data centers. For more information on Flexential, please visit www.flexential.com.

Follow Flexential on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.

Contact:
Lori Stafford-Thomas
Senior Director, Corporate Marketing, Flexential
Lori.staffordthomas@flexential.com
720-891-1070

Major League Baseball Fans Will Enjoy 18.3 Million Hot Dogs and Nearly Four Million Sausages at Ballparks in 2019

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Washington, D.C. – March 28, 2019 (PRNewswire) When it comes to what we eat at Major League Baseball (MLB) parks, the top dogs for well over a century have been hot dogs and sausages—and once again, they will reign supreme in 2019. According to a survey by the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council (NHDSC), MLB fans this season are expected to consume about 18.3 million hot dogs and nearly four million sausages.

“It’s easy to see why hot dogs and sausages have been stadium staples since the very beginnings of Major League Baseball itself,” said NHDSC President Eric Mittenthal. “They are delicious, convenient and nostalgic. What would America’s pastime be without these most American of foods?”

While it might not take the sting out of two straight World Series losses, the Los Angeles Dodgers will still top the big leagues wiener-wise, with projected sales of 2.7 million hot dogs at Dodger Stadium. America’s “Second City” is a distant runner-up, with 1.2 million hot dogs waiting to be consumed at the Chicago Cubs’ friendly confines of Wrigley Field.

The Dodgers’ rivals up the coast take this year’s sausage crown as San Francisco Giants fans are expected to “polish” off 450,000 sausages, with Cubs fans not far behind at 400,000. As in past years, the Brewers’ Miller Park is the sole MLB venue where sausage sales will outpace hot dogs.

While old favorites will always be on the menu, the coming season will also throw some culinary curveballs.

“In 2019, hot dogs will continue to prove their versatility at ballparks nationwide with versions that reflect our dynamic culture and changing tastes,” Mittenthal said. “It’s exciting and mouth-watering to see new takes on old classics that definitely are not your granddad’s dog!”

New Offerings in the Updated MLB Hot Dog and Sausage Guide:

The Arizona Diamondbacks continue to bring their A-game, teaming up with Sports Illustrated for a new trio at Chase Field. These include:

  • The “SI Cover Dog,” an 18-inch brat with a highly eclectic array of toppings: jalapeño-apple coleslaw, fried mac and cheese, barbecue aioli, house-cured beer pickles and green onion.
  • The “Big Jalapeño Popper Dog,” a foot-long hot dog with roasted jalapeño cream cheese, bacon, crispy jalapenos, and onions.
  • The “All Day Breakfast Dog,” which heaps hash browns, country gravy, cheddar cheese, bacon, fried eggs, hot sauce and green onion onto an 18-inch hot dog.

“South of the border” is a common destination at MLB parks, witnessed by the Los Angeles Dodgers’ new “Dodger Sausage,” which stuffs a grilled, al pastor sausage with pineapple chunks and tops it with pineapple salsa and cilantro-lime crema. Then there’s the nearly half-a-yard-long “Going Yard,” a 16.5-inch jalapeño cheddar sausage topped with grilled onions, roasted corn and avocado relish, drizzled with sour cream.”

Taste buds at historic Wrigley Field will be transported cross-country by the Chicago Cubs’ new “Southwest Fiesta Specialty Hot Dog,” a beef frank topped with chili-lime crema, pico de gallo, tortilla strips and house-made pickled peppers. It’s a spicier cousin of the “Chicago Dog,” a classic comprising a beef hot dog with yellow mustard, neon relish, fresh tomatoes, pickle spear, diced onions, and celery salt on a poppy seed bun.

Elsewhere on the compass, the inspiration for the Detroit Tigers’ latest entry comes from the East: the “Coney Dog Egg Roll,” a new spin on an egg roll stuffed with cut-up hot dogs and chili, drizzled in mustard and sprinkled with onions. You can bet it will rev up the crowds in Motor City!

San Francisco Giants fans at the newly renamed Oracle Park will partake in the “Pineapple Polish Sausage,” a sweet and savory mix of pork and pineapple chunks that combine to make an instant classic. For those who prefer the added convenience of their food on a stick, organic corn dogs are debuting in 2019.

Also hailing from the Lone Star State, the Texas Rangers are debuting the “RWB (Red, White & Blue) Dog.” This patriotic peculiarity is a beef frank, flanked by red and blue pickle relish, pleasing the palate with a blend of savory, sweet and spicy.

While everything might be bigger in Texas, it’s the Minnesota Twins are lowering the “Boomstick” on Target Field. It’s a two-foot-long beast smothered in chili, nacho cheese, grilled onions and jalapeños that got its start with the Rangers—keying off the nickname of slugger Nelson Cruz—who not coincidentally is now batting for the Twins.

For more on annual consumption data, and hot dog and sausage facts and culture, visit www.hot-dog.org.

About the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council: Established in 1994 by the American Meat Institute, the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council serves as an information resource to consumers and media on questions related to quality, safety, nutrition and preparation of hot dogs and sausages. The Council also celebrates hot dogs and sausages as iconic American foods.

Contact:

Eric Mittenthal
emittenthal@meatinstitute.org
(202) 587-4238

Michael Schumpp
mschumpp@meatinstitute.org
(202) 587-4251