Nathan Marcus watched an emotional ESPN “GameDay” segment a few years ago that highlighted the now-famous wave to children’s hospital patients during University of Iowa football games.
The Birmingham-area insurance agent and his wife immediately thought of the same idea: Birmingham Barons fans waving to patients at the nearby glass-façade of Children’s of Alabama during every home game.
“We looked at each other and said, ‘We need to get this in Birmingham,’” Marcus said. “Home plate faces Children’s Hospital.”
Marcus contacted the Barons and Children’s of Alabama and received promising feedback, but the idea didn’t immediately become reality. His Plan B involved sponsoring the seventh-inning stretch, with the help of his employer, All-State Insurance, and creating the Seventh-Inning Wave.
The Barons’ Wave debuted during the first 2019 homestand earlier this month, and it’s already become the Barons’ newest tradition.
“It’s still really early, but I really think it’s going to be a cool thing for Birmingham,” Marcus said. "I thought it all along. You know how you’ll have the 100 things you have to do in Alabama -- you know how you see those kind of lists? -- I really thought absolutely one of them should be you go to a Barons game and you wave during the seventh inning.
“The natural high you get from that, I think is something you would do.”
The Barons open their second homestand of the season tonight at Regions Field, with first pitch in the five-game series against the Jackson Generals set for 6:30 p.m.
Patients, families and employees at Children’s of Alabama immediately recognized the power and poignancy of the Wave.
“There are folks in the stands taking a moment, and when they’re waving, they’re thinking about the patients and the families and the employees that are there dedicating their efforts and energy to providing the best healthcare for the children,” said Emily Hornak, the director of cause marketing and corporate partnerships at Children’s. "It’s a really wonderful feeling for the people who see that to feel it.
“We love the fans in the stands waving at the kids, and we believe that raises the awareness of Children’s of Alabama -- not just to the fans who are there at the game,” Hornak added, “but also the people they go and talk to and tell. That enthusiasm for Children’s of Alabama is able to spread even beyond that moment in time when folks stand and wave at kids in the hospital.”
The Barons also embraced the Seventh-Inning Wave. “I think right out of the gate we hit a home run with it.” said Don Leo, the Barons corporate sales manager, in an e-mail about the new tradition.
Marcus said patients and families at Children’s will soon receive flashlights, which will allow them to “wave back” at Barons fans.
“It’s a neat thing for Birmingham, but most importantly it’s a lift for the families whose kids are in the hospital,” he said. “The best ideas in marketing are not stolen, maybe lifted. This one certainly was."
Watch this ESPN story about the Iowa Wave that inspired Marcus: