LAS VEGAS—In an effort to generate more enthusiasm among owners and general managers for the sparsely attended event, Major League Baseball introduced announced a new “Star Wars Night” Monday to boost attendance at this year’s winter meetings. “In the past, we’ve had problems drawing a full crowd to these meetings, so we are trying to make things a little more fun, especially for the younger owners,” said commissioner Rob Manfred, who revealed that each owner who attended received a free bobblehead of Luke Skywalker. “Some of the attendees aren’t big fans of baseball and complain that the meetings are slow and boring, but they love Star Wars. You can tell by their huge smiles that they had a great time interacting with their favorite characters such as Darth Vader, Storm Troopers, and Chewbacca. The winner of the costume contest receives a movie poster of The Last Jedi signed by the cast, and a local orchestra will play “The Imperial March” during the lunch break. Plus, owners can also pay $10 extra for a collectible Yoda cup that comes with free beer refills.” Manfred added that Theo Epstein was scheduled to give a presentation on “lightsabermetrics” that analyzes the connection between MLB attendance and Star Wars box office returns.

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