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About

Promo Watch: The strongest of the week

From alpacas to crabs to Odenkirk, a look at this week's best promos
By Benjamin Hill
August 2, 2016

Friends and fellow roamin' countrymen: I am writing this latest edition of Promo Watch from a hotel room in Sacramento, the first stop on my latest and therefore greatest Minor League ballpark road trip.

Before getting lost in the demands of the trip, I wanted to provide a brief, Twitter-enabled overview of this week's notable promos. This is a subjective exercise, of course, so please email ([email protected]) or tweet (@bensbiz) at me regarding the most egregious oversights. I'm sure there are many.

August 3: Gleyber Torres bobblehead (South Bend Cubs)

Torres, a highly regarded shortstop, spend the vast bulk of the 2015 season playing for the South Bend Cubs. He was so popular, and his future so bright, that it was a no-brainer for the Cubs to add a Gleyber Torres bobblehead to the 2016 promo schedule. Things have gotten a bit awkward, however, in that earlier this month Torres was traded to the Yankees organization as part of the deal that sent Aroldis Chapman to Chicago. But the show must go on, of course. South Bend is now trying to do a little wheeling and dealing of their own. 

August 4: The Lehigh Valley 'Festers (Lehigh Valley IronPigs)

The IronPigs have already changed their name once this year when, in a highly heralded promo, they suited up as the "Cheesesteaks." Their latest temporary moniker switch hasn't (and won't) get the internet buzzing in a similar way, as it references a source of regional pride that is not as well known outside the Keystone State. On Thursday the team becomes the "'Festers," an homage not to the Addams Family or lingering body sores but to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania's annual 10-day, free admission "Musikfest."

August 5: Crab Feast (Delmarva Shorebirds)

This one's about as self-explanatory as it gets: On Friday, the Salisbury, Maryland-based Shorebirds are offering a $45 ticket that includes an all-you-can-eat crab buffet. Smashing the seasoned corpses of boiled crustaceans while watching baseball on a summer night -- can it possibly get more idyllic than that? And no need to bring your own smashing device as the Shorebirds will have plenty of mallets on hand. 

August 6: Better Call Saul jerseys and Bob Odenkirk appearance (Albuquerque Isoptopes)

In 1996, while on a trip dedicated to scouting potential places at which to attend college, a friend of mine and I stumbled upon an episode of Mr. Show with Bob and David while watching late-night television in a Jersey City Econo Lodge. My life was never the same. Your life may never be the same after attending Saturday's Isotopes game as it features an appearance by Bob Odenkirk himself. Twenty years later, Odenkirk has acheived new levels of celebrity via his depiction of Saul Goodman in the Albuquerque-based Breaking Bad and its Better Call Saul spinoff. The team will wear Better Call Saul theme jerseys and they look, well, good, man.

August 7: Alpaca Racing (Harrisburg Senators)

The Harrisburg Senators' 2016 promo schedule features an appearance by the Washington Nationals' racing presidents, but perhaps the most unique instance of extracurricular on-field competition is scheduled for this Sunday. For reasons perhaps known only to themselves, the team is hosting its first-ever alpaca race. 

"There will be a petting zoo, a pregame alpaca parade around the warning track and during the game there will be alpaca racing through their obstacle course on the back concourse," said the team in a press release. "You'll have to see this to believe this!" 

August 8: Rainbows Pride Night (Charleston RiverDogs)

From 1985 through 1993, Charleston, South Carolina's South Atlantic League entity was known as the "Rainbows." This spectacular name had a correspondingly spectacular uniform, because how could it not? On Monday the RiverDogs honor their heritage as well as the annual celebration of the LGBT community that is the Charleston Pride Festival by donning "Rainbows" duds. The following tweet may be a couple years old, but it adequately captures the brilliance of the Rainbows aesthetic. 

August 9: Taco Truck Throwdown (Inland Empire 66ers)

The Fresno Grizzlies annual "Taco Truck Throwdown" has morphed into a promo of epic proportions -- in addition to attracting sellout crowds, it has now spawned a recurring "Fresno Tacos" identity. The Inland Empire 66ers' iteration of the promo, now in its second season, is on a decidedly smaller scale. It will feature some of the San Manuel Valley's finest purveyors as well as a Taco Truck Throwdown T-shirt giveaway for those in attendance. Other teams located within taco-centric communites should steal this idea as well, as the soft shell isn't a hard sell.

Benjamin Hill is a reporter for MiLB.com and writes Ben's Biz Blog. Follow Ben on Twitter @bensbiz.