Tucson Weekly: Batter Up (June 25

Mike Feder Fesses Up About Valet Parking And Other Minor League Mysteries.
By Tom Danehy
TEN QUESTIONS I'VE been wanting to ask newly inducted Pima County Sports Hall of Famer Mike Feder for what seems like days now:
We've all heard the story about your going out and helping to park cars that one night. What's the most fun thing about parking cars?
Danehy Feder: Getting yelled at. Some drivers are really creative in defining my ancestry. All I really did was go outside and see the mess caused by not having people show up for work. We just opened the gates and stopped charging for parking.
I made an executive decision. It was just a manpower problem and we got it straightened out right away. No big deal. But you know, in the minor leagues, the general manager has to do everything. That's part of the job description.
I understand there was a problem with the fireworks show around Memorial Day. If they're short a fireworks guy come the Fourth of July, will you be willing to step in and help?
Feder: Yeah, just call me Lefty. No, really, we have great people doing the fireworks. We had a small problem that night, but the next time we had it, things went perfectly.
The Sidewinders got off to a great start, but now they're in last place. Have the Arizona Diamondbacks gutted your roster?
Feder: No. We've been hit hard by injuries. Mike Stoner and Brent Cookson both got hurt and that was a lot to lose. Stoner was leading the league in hitting when he went down.
They're both due back in the homestand, which is underway right now. We'll be okay.
As for losing players to the Diamondbacks, that's the nature of the game. We've had 11 players spend time up there in Phoenix. That's not an extraordinary number. That's about right for an expansion team. The big club has to try things out and see who fits where. We'll be okay here.
...Which is all fine and good, but the new AAA alignment doesn't call for a split season, so the Sidewinders need to get moving pretty soon. Okay Mike, be honest here. Max Patkin or the San Diego Chicken?
Feder: The Chicken, no contest. He's one of the great entertainers in the entire country. I love Max Patkin, but he kinda got old there near the end; he couldn't do a lot of the things that made him special.
The Chicken, on the other hand, is a consistent draw. Kids adore him, and there's always a new batch of kids coming up. Plus, he entertains the parents, too. His appeal hasn't faded one bit. It's a guaranteed sure thing that The Chicken will be one of the top-five attendance nights of the season every year.
(Note: The Chicken will be at Tucson Electric Park for the evening game on Friday, June 26. Get there early so Mike doesn't have to help with the parking. They're still deducting from his check to cover all the lost revenue from the last time he helped out.)
Do you care at all that Spain and Portugal played to a nil-nil tie in the World Cup?
Feder: Not in the least.
I have several large friends who are self-proclaimed experts in ballpark cuisine. They say the food during spring training was excellent, but that the food now at TEP is definitely a drop-off from the old days at Hi Corbett. What's the deal?
Feder: I'm stunned by this. We have the same company doing the food now that did the food during spring training. We have Wienerschnitzel hot dogs, BBQ beef sandwiches. We even have French fries, which we never had before.
You know I'm pretty accessible. I haven't heard one complaint about the food.
Congratulations on being inducted into the Pima County Sports Hall of Fame. Have you ordered a new plaque for your desk which reads "Pima County Sports Hall of Famer Mike Feder Comma General Manager?"
Feder: That's not me. It's a great honor, but I won't even have the plaque here at the ballpark. It'll be at home someplace.
How's attendance compared to previous years? Did the cool spring we had help or hurt you?
Feder: We're up 30,000 over last year, and that's with the same number of games. We got hurt badly by the cold nights in April and even May. The first homestand, I had to wear a heavy jacket on seven of the eight nights. I mean, it was brutal.
Things have gotten better since then. Tucsonans don't mind going to the ballpark on 100 degree days, but they don't like to sit there and watch a baseball game with a blanket on their laps.
And other things have bothered us. A couple Fridays ago, we were up against Game 5 of the NBA Finals, the second-highest rated NBA game ever. We still drew 7,500 people. That's amazing, and that's largely attributable to the new ballpark.
People are always telling us that they're pleasantly surprised by the accessibility of TEP. They were afraid the place would be way out of the way over on the south side, but it's not.
Will you let my homie Jim Nintzel sit in the VIP box even though he wrote mean things about the financing for Tucson Electric Park?
Feder: Yes, but only because I like his brother.
This isn't really a question; it's more of a request. Even though half of them are dead and/or crazy, can you promise me that you'll never bring the Beach Boys back?
Feder: No. I'm going to keep inviting them until they're all dead. Even if we're down to one and we have to have a sign saying, "Now Appearing: The Beach Boy."
Actually, the new ballpark is a great venue for concerts. I'm going to look into having more of them next year. I'd love to get Jimmy Buffett.
...But aren't you afraid of how the outfield (ahem) grass will grow after that?
(Actually, I asked that question after he hung up. I'll just assume his answer was, "Not really, Mon.")

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