Benjamin Hill travels the country to collect stories about what makes Minor league Unique baseball. This extract from baseball traveler The newsletter, brought to you by Circle K, is just a taste of the assortment of delights it offers each week. Read the full newsletter hereand subscribe to his newsletter here.
Welcome to Promo Preview, a monthly roundup of the best Minor League Baseball gifts and theme parties. June highlights include several wet donkeys, giant amphibians, beloved dogs and, of course, much more.
Repeat at night
Erie SeaWolves (Double-A DET), June 3
Jean Olivier, new SeaWolves supportershould like this one: If you buy a ticket to the June 3 game and the SeaWolves win, then you can exchange that ticket to attend the next game on June 4. If the SeaWolves win on June 4, you can exchange your ticket to attend June 5. And so on, to infinity and beyond. John Oliver should like this one. Yes, I repeat myself.
Salvation to cheese
Western Michigan Whitecaps (High DET-A), June 4
Speaking of repetition, here’s another promo from the Detroit system. June 4 is National Cheese Day and the Whitecaps are celebrating with salutes throughout the match. Details to come, but keep in mind that this is a team that opened a “Queso Castle” food stand last season. Each item sold by the team at this stand can be topped with six different types of cheese. Clearly, the Whitecaps are well equipped to salute the cheese. Expect an exemplary effort.
Otters snot
Asheville Tourists (High-A HOU), June 6
The Eastern salamander, the only species of giant salamander native to North America, resides in the rivers of the Asheville area. Although Hellbender is an impressive name in its own right, these gargantuan amphibians also have a colorful (and juvenile) nickname: Snot Otters. Asheville tourists are dress like onewith proceeds from the jersey auction being donated to the WNC Nature Center. You have one, it’s not everyday snot, something like this happens.
River donkeys CSRA
Augusta GreenJackets (Single-A ATL), June 6-7
Last month, the Delmarva Shorebirds played like Wild Ponieswhose logo depicted a pony wading in water. The torch for the alternative identity of aquatic equines has now been passed to the Augusta GreenJackets, who will embody the CSRA (Central Savannah River Area) River Donkeys. This is a tribute to the donkeys of Stallings Island, an archaeological site near Augusta, Georgia. How did the donkeys get there? Well, goats (nature landscapers) were introduced to the island in 2008 to control vegetation. However, coyotes became a threat to the goats, so donkeys were brought in to guard them. Let’s hear it for predator deterrence! Proceeds from Jersey benefit Stallings Island preservation efforts.
Barkansas Dizzys
Arkansas Travelers (Double-A SEA), June 10-15
Greg Johnston, the Travelers’ vice president of stadium operations, is currently in his 50th (!) year working for the team. Her dog, Dizzy, is about that age in dog years. Dizzy is a constant rough presence as well as its most popular inhabitant. So much so that this cream-colored dog now has its own alternate identity. The Travelers will play as the Barkansas Dizzys for the entirety of their six-game series against the Northwest Arkansas Naturals. Dogs will be allowed in the stadium for each Dizzys game; highlights include a Dizzy figurine giveaway (June 12) and Dizzy’s eighth birthday party (June 14). Make sure to get his Pawtograph.
Roger Maris figurine figurine
Fightin Phils Reading (Double-A PHI), June 12
Reading has been an affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies since 1967, the longest affiliation in Minor League Baseball. However, there were many chapters of professional baseball before that, including a 10-season tenure as the Reading Indians (1952-61). Roger Maris was a member of the 1955 Reading team, playing 113 games in what proved to be his penultimate Minor League campaign. The Maris bobblehead giveaway is being held in tandem with the Baseballtown Hall of Fame Night in Reading, which will see the inductions of Dusty Wathan, Trevor May and Darin Ruf.
Norfolk Tantangs
Norfolk Tides (Triple-A BAL), June 14
Norfolk, Virginia is home to a large population of Filipino Americans. Last season, the Tide honored this community by embodying the Lumpia, but this time, they are transforming into the Tandangs. This identity, designed by a team of local Filipino-American creatives, features a fighting cock (the Tandang) and includes a plethora of design elements referencing the country’s history and culture.
Kyle Teel Pom Pom Figure
Portland Sea Dogs (Double-A BOS), June 18
The Sea Dogs, originally affiliated with the Marlins, pay homage to this era in their history by wearing teal jerseys on Wednesday. For the June 18 iteration, they will honor wide receiver Kyle Teel (a 2024 Sea Dog) with a figurine of him wearing a teal jersey. Teel is now in the White Sox organization, but he still regularly wears teal as a member of the Charlotte Knights.
Albert’s Strange Night
Altoona Curve (Double-A PIT), June 21
What happens when the parodist is parodied? In this case, you get the strange Albert Night of the Altoona Curve. The team promises an “evening filled with wacky antics, absurd games, and laughs that will make you feel like you’re drinking from the fire hose of comedy!” » This fire hose line is a reference to Weird Al Yankovic’s cult film, “UHF.” Weird Al… Strange Albert… do you understand?
Bathtub donkeys
Binghamton Rumble Ponies (Double-A NYM), June 28
Yes, this column now includes two alternate identities featuring the intersection of donkeys and water. Binghamton Bathtub donkeys is a nod to an outdated (and perhaps apocryphal) New York law that said you couldn’t have a donkey asleep in a bathtub on Sunday. The logo depicts a donkey taking a bath, using the bathtub for its intended purpose and therefore not breaking the law.
