The Top 10 MiLB promotions of 2009

Vote now for the No. 1 overall promotion of the season!

By Benjamin Hill

October 2, 2009

Another season has come and gone, and all we're left with are the memories. That, and an obsessive compulsive writer's wrapup on the year that was in Minor League promotions. That writer would be me, Benjamin Hill, author of MiLB.com's weekly "Promotion Preview" and "Ben's Biz Blog."

Using highly scientific selection techniques, I was able to determine the 10 best Minor League promotions of the year. They are listed below. But THE best promotion can only be determined through a fan vote, and this is where you come in. After perusing this year's nominees, please select the promotion that you think towered above the rest. Voting ends on Monday, Oct. 12, at which point the ultimate champion will be crowned.

But no matter who emerges victorious, one thing that we should all be able to agree on is that 2009 was a highly entertaining season when it came to promotions. For proof of this assertion, read on.

The Top 10

What Could've Been Night
Bowling Green Hot Rods, Aug. 15
When the fledgling Hot Rods held their "Name the Team" contest this past offseason, "Cave Shrimp" emerged as one of the finalists. This evening tried to imagine "What Could've Been" if the team had ended up with that name, as well as a wide range of other hypothetical scenarios.

Bellies and Baseball
Brooklyn Cyclones, July 19
In addition to throwing out the first pitch, walking the bases and singing during the seventh-inning stretch, pregnant women from across the five boroughs were treated to pregame Lamaze classes, concession stand "craving stations" and free cocoa butter.

As Seen On TV Night
Fresno Grizzlies, June 6
The Grizzlies' freewheeling salute to the pitchmen and products we love included a team-logo Shammy Cloth giveaway, Chia Pet headshots and "Clapper" commercials on the video board. But the highlight had to have been the one-of-a-kind Snuggie/Shamwow/Life Alert Relay Race.

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<%-- END POLL --%> Potato Night
Idaho Falls Chukars, July 20
Idaho is the potato production center of the world, so it should be no surprise that the Chukars' salute to spuds was overstuffed, good in the sack and had tremendous "a-peel." Highlights included mashed potato eating contests, sack races and "spud fudge" at the concession stand.

Ballpark Wedding
Lehigh Valley IronPigs, July 16
Love was in the air at Coca-Cola Park, as one lucky couple received an extravagant all-expenses-paid wedding courtesy of the IronPigs. The ceremony was held prior to the ballgame, and the players adhered to the theme by wearing tuxedo-themed jerseys.

Mega-Candy Drop
Quad Cities River Bandits, July 26
Sometimes dreams do become reality. On this magical evening, the River Bandits allowed 800 children onto the field and then had a helicopter drop 100 pounds of candy and 100 pounds of marshmallows. It was literally raining sweets.

Gluttony Night
Reading Phillies, May 19
The entire ballpark was turned into an "All-You-Can-Eat Section" as the R-Phils offered fans unlimited hot dogs, French fries, pizza, funnel cake, ice cream and soda for the bargain price of $12 (which also included the game ticket). The result was a Tuesday night crowd of 6,435. "Gluttony Night II" was staged in August, with cheeseburgers added to the menu.

Jake Tyler Chia-Bobble Giveaway
Toledo Mud Hens, Sept. 3
The Mud Hens took the tried-and-true bobblehead doll to a new level of creativity with this innovative giveaway. Made in honor of much-lauded groundskeeper Jake Tyler, the doll features its honoree standing on a mound of dirt that, if properly tended, will one day yield a crop of luxurious green grass.

Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes World Record Attempt
Wilmington Blue Rocks, June 19
While yet to be confirmed by the meticulous and non-communicative folks across the pond at Guinness, this unique world record attempt consisted of a packed stadium going through 12 repetitions of the time-honored children's classic. This historic moment was followed by -- what else? -- fireworks.

Salute to Cows
Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, June 4
This evening-long homage to Wisconsin's most prevalent and beloved domesticated mammal featured a mooing contest, milk-chugging competitions, a petting zoo, mascot cow tipping, milk mustache player head shots and much, much more.

And speaking of "much, much more," the promotions listed above are but a microscopic sampling of what went on throughout the Minor Leagues in 2009. What follows is an attempt to create some order from the chaos.

Salutes, Theme Nights and Tributes

For many, the ballpark represents a refuge from the stress of everyday life, especially if one is married to an overbearing spouse. The Huntsville Stars held Desperate Househusbands Night on April 11, offering half-price tickets to those who brought their "honey-do" lists to the game. These lists were read over the PA, and the club selected one such missive and took care of all the chores (hopefully none of these husbands brought their wives to "Pay What You Weigh" Night, which the Stars held later in the season). ... Many of our country's biggest holidays occur during the offseason, but that didn't stop teams from celebrating them anyway. Among many examples: the South Bend Silver Hawks staged Halfway to Halloween, the Jacksonville Suns celebrated Valentine's Day in May, and the Omaha Royals enjoyed Christmas in May. And let's not forget an excellent celebration of an in-season holiday: the Corpus Christi Hooks' Cinco de Mayo Spectacular, which featured an excellent mariachi version of the National Anthem. ... Such randomness is a hallmark of Minor League promotions, but it's hardly limited to holidays. The Charleston RiverDogs are perhaps the kings of head-scratching theme nights, as their promotional slate this season included Talk Like Ah-Nold Night, Salute to Lunch Ladies, Salute to the G-String (as in a guitar string -- sorry to get your hopes up), Here's to You, Mr. Competitive Adult Softball Player, Nancy Night (in honor of those with that particular name), and of course, Illegal Use of Your Ed Hochuli. ... Fellow South Carolinians the Myrtle Beach Pelicans also adhere to a strict "anything goes" policy, as evidenced by the likes of Salute to No. 2, Salute to Punctuation, Half-Empty Night, Half-Full Night and Salute to Our Northern Neighbors (i.e., Canada). ... The Pelicans and the State College Spikes are run by the same ownership group, so it's no surprise that the Spikes also excel at when it comes to absurd theme nights. This season, State Collegians were treated to Groundhog Day Night, CSI Night, Baseball Mythbusters Night, Size Matters Night, Salute to Pennsylvania Construction and the return of Night of 101 Promotions. ... And let's not forget fellow Pennsylvanians the Altoona Curve, who are always good for some theme-night shenanigans. This year included salutes to extremes (The Long and the Short of It), cultural criticism (Everybody's a Critic) and sportswriters (They've Got the Beat). ... The Fresno Grizzlies' As Seen On TV Night earned a best of nomination (see above), but there was far more where that came from this season. The club was also responsible for Nerd Night, Mad Tight '90s Night (featuring Saved by the Bell's Mr. Belding), Magically Superstitious Night (featuring Magic 8-Ball giveaways) and the social networking extravaganza that was the Great Fresno Tweetup. ... The West Michigan Whitecaps are known for their creative theme jerseys, and the duds they wore on Pink Floyd Night were nothing if not creative. In a similar vein, the Lakewood BlueClaws once again wore special "BruceClaw" jerseys (in honor of Springsteen). But no temporary renaming got more attention than when the Brooklyn Cyclones became the Baracklyn Cyclones in honor of our new(ish) Commander in Chief. ... By now I've completely lost my ability to write clever segues, but soldier on I must. ... The San Antonio Missions' Mormon Night featured a Green Jello eating contest as well as a special appearance by noted Mormon Jeff Kent. ... During the Birmingham Barons' Stress-Free Night, even the mascot was treated to a massage. ... The Lowell Spinners commemorated the first anniversary of the Manny Ramirez trade with their Salute to Quitters. ... The Omaha Royals paid homage to an early '90s rom-com classic by literally staging four weddings and giving away a funeral. ... The Lake County Captains paid tribute to the good, the bad and the ugly during their Cleveland Sports Night celebration. They even sold beer for five cents in an homage to the Indians' infamous Nickel Beer Night. ... Most promotions don't result in a cease and desist letter, but that's exactly what happened when the Fort Myers Miracle asked "What Would Tim Tebow Do?" The name of the promo was hastily changed to, simply, "WWTTD."

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