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Top 10 upcoming promotions 05/20/2008 8:00 AM ETBy Benjamin Hill
Minor League teams are known for their game-day promotions. Every Tuesday during the season, we'll preview 10 of the best for the week ahead. If you'd like a particular promotion to be considered for this feature in the future, please send it to benjamin.hill@mlb.com with the subject line: "Promo Preview."
Myrtle Beach Pelicans (Carolina League)
Geek Night, May 21
Indiana Jones Night, May 22
In their day-to-day lives, geeks are often unfairly subjected to ridicule and scorn. On Wednesday, the Pelicans are subverting this unfortunate reality by staging "Geek Night." Brainy, malnourished and bespectacled individuals will be honored throughout the evening, which will be highlighted by an appearance from Myron Noodleman (the supremely nerdy Clown Prince of Baseball). The next night, the club will celebrate the release of the latest Indiana Jones movie by welcoming an Indy lookalike, who will reenact classic scenes from the trilogy throughout the ballgame.
Lehigh Valley IronPigs (International League)
Phillie Phanatic Performance, May 22
Brian Dawkins Appearance, May 27
The Phillie Phanatic is, hands down, the most well-known and well-loved mascot in all of professional baseball. Therefore, when the furry green alien (?) makes an appearance outside of Philadelphia, it's bound to be big news. On Thursday, the Phanatic will visit Lehigh Valley (the Phillies' brand-new Triple-A affiliate) in order to give the fans a glimpse of mascot royalty. Five days later, a Philadelphia legend of a different sort will grace the IronPigs' faithful with his presence: Eagles safety Brian Dawkins. The 12-year NFL veteran will throw out the first pitch and participate in between-inning games and contests to promote next month's "Brian Dawkins' Burn Prevention Classic," a celebrity golf tournament.
Beloit Snappers (Midwest League)
Cash Giveaway, May 23
If you plan on attending Friday's game at Pohlman Field, make sure to arrive early, as the first 500 fans through the gates will receive an envelope containing cold, hard cash! True, the cash contained in many of these envelopes would more accurately be described as "coin" (often as little as one penny), but some will be filled with as much as $100. The bottom line is that the opportunity to strike it (at least a little) rich looms large, so Beloitians who have the ability to attend this ballgame should certainly do so.
Lake County Captains (South Atlantic League)
Italian Heritage Night with Bocce Ball Exhibition, May 23
The Captains are hosting a game-long celebration of Italian culture Friday, and one of the highlights is scheduled to take place before the game. Two local bocce ball clubs will stage an exhibition match in the outfield, and a representative of the winning team will then have the honor of "rolling" out the ceremonial first pitch. Apparently unrelated to Italian Heritage Night, but still worth a mention, is the fact that the Captains will be offering haircuts on the concourse throughout the game. The proceeds will benefit the United Mitochondrial Disease Foundation.
Portland Sea Dogs (Eastern League)
All the Hair You Can Spare, May 23
And while we're on the topic of charitable haircuts ... also on Friday, the Portland Sea Dogs are holding "All the Hair You Can Spare" Night. The club is attempting to recruit individuals with "8-10 inches of non-chemically treated hair that is less than 5 percent gray" to get their hair cut at Portland's Hadlock Field. The hair will then be donated to Pantene's Beautiful Lengths program, which provides wigs to cancer patients who have lost their hair while undergoing treatment. More than 25 individuals have already signed up to participate in the event, and all who do so will receive two free tickets to that evening's game, a Sea Dogs cap and the opportunity to have their (now short) hair worked on by professional stylists.
Altoona Curve (Eastern League)
Pittsburgh Gridiron Greats -- Rocky Bleier, May 24
The Curve are located in a region that includes a copious number of Pittsburgh sports fanatics, and are co-owned by Steelers legend Jerome Bettis. Therefore, this season's crossover promotional series, "Pittsburgh Gridiron Greats," makes perfect sense. It all begins Saturday, when former fullback Rocky Bleier graces Blair County Ballpark. Bleier played 11 seasons with the Steelers, 10 of which came after he suffered what was thought to be a career-ending leg injury while fighting in Vietnam. Not surprisingly, Bleier remains a favorite with the Black and Gold faithful, who will show up in droves to be in the presence of their indomitable hero.
Bowie Baysox (Eastern League)
Kazoo World Record Attempt, May 24
Pat Sajak Bobblehead, May 25
On Saturday, the first 3,000 people through the gates at Prince George Stadium will receive a Baysox logo kazoo, which will be put to good use in the seventh inning. That's when all 3,000 fans will hum their way through "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" in an attempt to establish a new Guinness World record for simultaneous kazoo-ing (the current mark of 2,679 was set in 2006). As an added bonus, "World Pizza Acrobat" Joe Carlucci will attempt to set the record for highest pizza toss. There are also rumblings that skateboarder Mathieu Therres will make a yet-to-be-determined record attempt as well.
And don't forget to come back to Prince George Stadium on Sunday, when "Wheel of Fortune" host Pat Sajak will be in attendance as the Baysox give away 1,250 bobbleheads bearing his perpetually smiling likeness.
Late-Breaking News:
The Eastern League's Connecticut Defenders have also announced that they will be staging a Kazoo World Record attempt on Saturday! I am waiting with bated breath to see who emerges victorious in this simultaneous battle for Kazoo supremacy.
Huntsville Stars (Southern League)
Meatloaf Night, May 24
In the Stars' press release promoting Meatloaf Night, director of promotions Matt Price is quoted as saying "Pastries have become passe. Chili is cliché. We wanted to do something even the Doughboy hasn't seen before." Well, apparently what the Doughboy has never seen before is a meatloaf cook-off at a Minor League baseball game. Local chefs with standout meatloaf recipes are invited to register with the club, then bring their culinary creations to the ballgame. Early-arriving fans will be given the opportunity to sample the various loaves and vote for their favorite, with the winner receiving a generous Stars prize pack. Let's hope that a copy of Meatloaf's greatest hits will be part of said award.
Potomac Nationals (Carolina League)
Internet Safety Night w/Erik Estrada, May 24
If there's anyone who's qualified to educate youngsters on the dangers of the Internet, it's a former television star whose heyday occurred several decades before the advent of the World Wide Web. Or at least that's the thinking behind the P-Nats' Internet Safety Night, during which Erik Estrada will be the guest of honor. The former star of "CHiPs" serves as the spokesperson for the "Safe Surfing" campaign, and on Saturday he will meet and greet fans at Pfitzner Stadium and serve as the on-field emcee for between-inning games and contests related to the Safe Surfing cause.
Columbus Clippers (International League)
Blue Birds Giveaways, May 23-25
The Clippers are celebrating the history of baseball in Columbus all season long, and this weekend they will pay tribute to the Columbus Blue Birds of the Negro National League. The Blue Birds didn't have much opportunity to make a big impression in Columbus, as they played just a half-season there in 1933 before relocating to Cleveland. Nevertheless, the club will give away Blue Birds caps on Friday, T-shirts on Saturday and limited-edition bobbleheads on Sunday (just 600 were produced). Collect all three!
Bonus Coverage!
It's our weekly look back at promotions that could have or should have been included in last week's column, but just weren't.
Salute to Three Million Fans (Albuquerque Isotopes, May 15) -- Rather than randomly choose one fan, the Isotopes celebrated the three-millionth fan in franchise history with random prize giveaways throughout the evening.
Psychic Night/Rubberband Night (Kannapolis Intimidators, May 15) -- You don't need to be clairvoyant to realize that this combination was a bit of a stretch.
Indiana Jones Is Old Night (Charleston RiverDogs, May 16) -- Because obvious jokes are the best kind of joke.
Busy Weekend in Fresno (Fresno Grizzles, May 16-18) -- On Friday, the club gave away orange T-shirts and hosted a "Pink in the Park" day. On top of that, they staged a "Salute to Coral," because Orange + Pink = Coral. On Saturday, fans received Pat Misch jerseys, and Sunday featured an appearance by the inimitable Will "the Thrill" Clark.
World Record First Pitch Attempt (Brevard County Manatees, May 17) -- 8,304 first pitches were thrown, breaking the previous mark by more than 2,000. Congratulations to the Manatees and all of their fans.
Belated St. Patrick's Celebration (Myrtle Beach Pelicans, May 17) -- The Pelicans wore green caps, hid "pots of gold" throughout the stadium and watched with amusement as a 6-foot-7 intern attempted to set a Guinness Record as "World's Tallest Leprechaun."
Green Bay Packers vs. Firefighters Charity Softball Game (Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, May 19) -- Everybody won, as Packers players went up against the Eau Claire Fire Department in a contest that raised some much-needed funds for the firefighters. This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.
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