Ben Creed and the Miami Miracle front office had a unique job, trying to sell an independent team in a league of teams directly affiliated with major league clubs, the team's director of sales told The South Florida Sun Sentinel in June 1990.
"Look, we don't have a base of loyal Yankees or Mets fans," Creed told The Sun Sentinel then. "We're not complaining. It's kind of fun being a rogue team."
For Creed, the major league affiliation issue would soon clear up. When the major league Florida Marlins came to town, they picked Creed up with them as corporate sales manager and then as director of marketing and partnerships.
In the latter job, he even got to work the 1997 World Series - and answer questions about a placard giveaway gone wrong.
After graduating from Purdue University, Creed started his work in baseball by 1990. That year, he made the team's "Office Personnel" card, as director of sales and credited by his formal name, Bennett Creed.
The next year, in May 1991, Creed explained the independent minor league team's role in the community to The Miami Herald.
"Our job is not to sell baseball but to sell family entertainment," Creed told The Herald then.
Then, in May 1992, Creed made the jump all the way to the majors, taking over for the brand new Marlins as corporate sales manager. He the made director of corporate sales in 1995.
In 1997, as the Marlins played in their first World Series, The Palm Beach Post turned to Creed, then the club's director of marketing and partnerships, concerning "Go Marlins!" placards handed out. It seemed they'd been handed out a Game 2 and become paper airplanes.
"We will not be doing that again," Creed told The Post. "It was awful."
Creed the started his own sports marketing consulting firm in 2000. He joined the University of Miami athletics staff in 2007 and became assistant athletics director for ticket sales in 2013.
- South Florida Sun Sentinel, June 4, 1990: Team hustles for 'Miracle' with toys, giveaways
- Miami Herald, May 26, 1991: Gimmicks attract baseball crowds
- Palm Beach Post, Oct. 24, 1997: Voodoo can mean victories for Marlins
- MiamiHurricanes.com: Ben Creed
Made the Majors:1,297-33.4%-X
Never Made Majors:2,590-66.6%
5+ Seasons in the Majors:528
10+ Seasons in the Minors:325
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