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How Victory Field Helped Build Downtown Indianapolis | Randy Lewandowski & Bruce Schumacher, Indianapolis Indians
On today's show I sat down with Indianapolis Indians President & CEO Randy Lewandowski and Chairman of the Board Bruce Schumacher at Victory Field ahead of the ballpark's 30th anniversary celebration on Saturday, July 11, featuring a pregame concert by My Yellow Rickshaw and the season's biggest fireworks show. Lewandowski looks back on joining the Indians as a ticketing intern in 1994, the push to replace aging Bush Stadium due to MLB standards and ADA needs, and the midseason move in 1996 to Victory Field that required manually relocating season-ticket seats with maps and tacks. He explains the unique state–city–CIB lease structure, the team's focus on repairs and maintenance, and how the ballpark has stayed fresh with evolving premium social spaces. Lewandowski also highlights Victory Field's attendance impact, 17 million fans over 30 years, and community events. Chairman Bruce Schumacher then joins the show to share his father Max Schumacher's vision, the team's community-owned stock history, private fundraising to build the park, and how Victory Field helped revive downtown and White River State Park. If you like this episode and want to hear more Get IN. episodes where I interview Hoosiers making a difference, visit getindiana.com/podcast. You are going to learn about: - Why the Indianapolis Indians Moved from Bush Stadium to Victory Field - Victory Field's Role in Downtown Indianapolis' Revitalization - How the Indians Became a Community-Owned Organization - Victory Field's 30th Anniversary Celebration on July 11 Thank you to our partners: Kelley School of Business Bloomrank Check out these great clips from the show: 00:00 Midseason Move Chaos 01:36 Victory Field 30th Setup 03:24 Why Build a New Park 04:11 CIB and State Land Deal 05:42 Busch Stadium Memories 08:22 Picking the Downtown Site 10:19 Proving Downtown Baseball Works 13:17 Attendance and City Impact 15:05 Opening Midseason in 1996 19:20 Grand Opening and Maintenance 22:59 Upgrades and Premium Spaces 27:44 Downtown Revitalization Catalyst 30:25 Brand Refresh and Miami Nation 34:57 Pride and Community Legacy 36:43 Stadium Seats and Cupholders 38:22 Why Victory Field Happened 40:55 Schumacher Family Origins 44:00 Community-Owned Stock Story 49:42 30th Anniversary Plans 51:37 Wild Minor League Baseball Promos 55:14 Food and Best Seats 57:37 MLB Stars and Celebs 01:02:35 Rapid Fire and Farewell Get IN. is brought to you by our friends at Sweetwater. Whether you are looking to start a podcast or level up your current show you need to hit them up.
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