LAWRENCE — A Kansas University graduate student and writer says minor league baseball is a major-league deal. David Sutera has traveled to minor league ballparks around the country for his book “Vaudeville on the Diamond: Minor League Baseball in Today’s Entertainment World,” about the loony promotions that help draw huge numbers of fans to the games. Sutera said minor league baseball teams are able to prosper because of appearances of B-list celebrities, and old-style, live entertainment. On his travels, he’s encountered epic mascot races, “Star Wars” theme nights, and his favorite, which he saw in Davenport, Iowa, “ Team Ghost Rider,” an act with monkeys dressed as cowboys riding border collies that herded sheep. Sutera is also planning a documentary film based on the book.
Tuesday, April 8, 4 p.m.
