VOICES: Humbled, thankful to all who have supported the Dayton Dragons over 25 seasons

Robert “Bob” Murphy has served as President of the Dayton Dragons since the organization's inception in 1999 and has worked in sports management since 1995. (CONTRIBUTED)

Robert “Bob” Murphy has served as President of the Dayton Dragons since the organization's inception in 1999 and has worked in sports management since 1995. (CONTRIBUTED)

Twenty-five years ago, my family and I made a decision to move to Dayton, Ohio and oversee the inception of a new minor league baseball team. As we first arrived in Dayton, the team had no name, no identity, and no ballpark. We had only a dream of what the team could become and how it could potentially impact the community in a positive manner. Now, all these years later, as the Dragons prepare for our 25th season of operation, we can look back in amazement at how those dreams became reality.

That first year, the elements of what would become a legendary sports franchise began to take shape. A hole in the ground at the corner of Monument Avenue and Patterson Blvd. was transformed into one of the most beautiful minor league ballparks ever constructed. The nameless team became known as the “Dragons,” and our loveable new team mascot, Heater, was the perfect character to help us introduce our vision of summertime family fun that would appeal to everyone.

As we first arrived in Dayton, the team had no name, no identity, and no ballpark. We had only a dream of what the team could become and how it could potentially impact the community in a positive manner. - Bob Murphy (CONTRIBUTED)

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We also understood the importance of connecting with our community. We established a longstanding school initiative, the Dragons MVP program, that has become such a tradition that kids who once participated as fourth and fifth graders are now bringing their own young children to Dragons games. We connected with our area’s great military presence through our Hometown Heroes program, recognizing and rewarding our local servicemen and women and their families. We established Home Run for Life nights at Dragons games, creating incredible memories for children who had battled medical or health issues, spotlighting them on the field with a lap around the bases while telling their story to our fans at the ballpark. As the years have gone by, we have continued to create new community programs, like our Community All-Stars, Veteran’s Salutes, Spotlight on Dayton, Celebrate Dayton, and many other themed game nights that have been enjoyed by literally millions of Dragons fans at Day Air Ballpark in the heart of the Water Street District.

The Dayton community and the Miami Valley as a whole enjoys great leadership. It is a great family community with the best fans anywhere. It is also a great business community; Dragons baseball could never have become so successful, or even survived at all, without our great sponsors and corporate community. And as the Dragons have grown, our downtown neighborhood has grown with us. The ballpark was the first domino to fall as more than $3.5 billion in development has followed. Downtown Dayton has truly blossomed.

In 2011, we celebrated as the Dayton Dragons broke the all-time record for all levels of all sports by completing our 815th consecutive sold-out game date. As we enter the 2025 season, incredibly and to the envy of teams everywhere, that streak is still alive, now standing tall at 1,573 consecutive sellouts, an unmatched achievement in the history of sports in North America. We are very humbled and thankful to all who have supported us.

Over the years, our staff has worked tirelessly to provide quality affordable family entertainment, unsurpassed customer service, a top-notch facility, community support, and great business opportunities for our sponsors and business partners. As we enter the final days of preparation for our “Silver Season” our 25th year of Dragons Baseball at Day Air Ballpark, we say with respect and appreciation, “Thank you, Dayton!”

Robert “Bob” Murphy has served as President of the Dayton Dragons since the organization’s inception in 1999 and has worked in sports management since 1995.

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