When Tony Ensor was introduced as the president and general manager of the Colorado Springs Sky Sox, he told The Gazette that he wanted to increase attendance at games.

“I won’t put a number on it, but we will have more people out at the ballpark,” he said. “Everybody is part of at least five groups. That might be civic, church, school, work, etc. I want to get those people out here. I want to make this the place to be in Colorado Springs, the Pikes Peak region.

“I love to win, but I love to entertain the fans. You’ll see some of the silliest things you’ve ever seen out at this ballpark. A baseball game should be a fun experience for everybody.”

The minor leagues have long touted their product as the best family value in sports. For the past five years, Ensor has made good on his pledge and has been at the forefront of that product in Colorado Springs.

The Triple-A Sky Sox are helped at times because their parent club, the Colorado Rockies, is less than 90 minutes away. But, for the family, minor league baseball isn’t as much about the players as it is about the experience.

Ensor has very little to do with the Sky Sox players. But he has everything to do with the fans.

Ensor has guided the organization through a $7 million stadium renovation and the sale of the stadium’s naming rights to Security Service Federal Credit Union.

He also has overseen an increase in entertainers and promotions.

Last season, the Sky Sox drew 265,000 fans in 69 games. It was a 12 percent increase from 2005 and was the third-highest attendance in franchise history. The percentage increase was also the highest in the Pacific Coast League and helped contribute to the third consecutive national record-breaking attendance for minor league baseball.

Zoya, a rare and endangered Amur tiger played with new toys in her exhibit Friday morning. Zoya was born at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo June 19, 2008. Photo by The Gazette, Carol Lawrence

Carol Lawrence