MiLBY Promo of the Year, through the years

Fan voting is underway for the Promo of the Year MiLBY Award, an annual honor bestowed by this website since 2007. This year's 10 nominees, encompassing six leagues and four levels of play, encapsulate the best (and often the strangest) that Minor League Baseball has to offer.

Voting for Promo of the Year (one of 13 MiLBY categories) runs through Oct. 25, with the winner announced shortly thereafter. This article takes a look at the eight winners that preceded it, a trip down memory lane as well as a chance to assess each one's impact on the Minor League landscape.

2008: Mascot Showdown (Fresno Grizzlies)

The Grizzlies lured the Phillie Phanatic far from his East Coast environs, inviting him to Fresno's Chukchansi Park for a nine-inning battle against their mascot, Parker. In the process, popcorn was spilled, bald heads were shined and umpires were seduced.

He said it: "We want everyone to realize that Fresno's mascot is really good. He was put in the same breath as the Phanatic and really gave him a run for his money." -- Scott Carter, Grizzlies vice president of marketing.

Trendsetter? Not particularly. While mascots continue to be a focal point of Minor League marketing efforts and the game-day experience, few teams (if any) have hosted similar visiting celebrity vs. hometown hero competitions.

2009: Cave Shrimp "What Could've Been Night" (Bowling Green Hot Rods)

In 2008, Bowling Green held a "Name the Team" contest and one of the finalists was "Cave Shrimp." The Hot Rods ultimately prevailed, but for one night during their inaugural 2009 campaign, the team pretended they really were the Cave Shrimp. The first 1,000 fans in attendance received Cave Shrimp T-shirts, and throughout the ballgame, a wide array of "What Could've Been" alternate realities were explored.

He said it: "After the promotion, there were people saying to us, 'Why would you choose a name, only to change it to something else so quickly?' Maybe we did too good of a job." -- Brad Taylor, Hot Rods general manager.

Trendsetter? Absolutely. "What Could've Been Night" has become a promotional staple throughout the Minors, resulting in one-night aberrations such as the Northwest Arkansas Thunder Chickens, Lehigh Valley Gobblers and Round Rock Fire Ants.

---

• Cast your votes for the 2016 MiLBYs »

---

2010: Rickwood Classic (Birmingham Barons)

The Birmingham Barons played at Rickwood Field from 1910 through 1986. The first Rickwood Classic took place in 1996, when the Barons returned to their former home for an afternoon of nostalgia-drenched baseball. The 2010 iteration marked Rickwood's centennial, during which the Barons and visiting Tennessee Smokies wore 1910-era uniforms.

He said it: "No matter what the specifics, people really enjoy seeing baseball in its simplest form with no bells and whistles. It's just a grand old day at the ballpark." -- Jonathan Nelson, Barons general manager.

Trendsetter? Many teams would love to stage an event similar to the Rickwood Classic. But even if their old stadiums are standing, very few are in good enough shape to host a professional baseball game. In 2010 and 2011, the Durham Bulls played a throwback game at their old home of Durham Athletic Park.

2011: Dallas Braden "Bobblebelly" (Stockton Ports)

Shortly after pitching a perfect game for the Oakland Athletics in 2010, Stockton native (and former Stockton Port) Dallas Braden was presented the key to the city in a pregame ceremony at Banner Island Ballpark. During the ceremony, he lifted up his shirt to reveal a "209" tattoo on his abdomen (209 is Stockton's area code). The Ports immortalized this moment by giving away Dallas Braden "bobblebellies" before a ballgame Braden attended.

He said it: "[Braden] was all for it. The only thing he asked for was, 'Make sure you give me a six-pack.'" -- Jeremy Neisser, Ports director of marketing.

Trendsetter? The bobbling of unorthodox appendages did not originate with the Ports. This was simply a particularly creative example.

2012: USS Yorktown Home Run Derby (Charleston RiverDogs)

As part of the 2012 South Atlantic League All-Star Game festivities, the RiverDogs hosted the Home Run Derby on the deck of a decommissioned World War II-era aircraft carrier. Participants, standing within a makeshift inflatable batting cage, blasted baseballs into the water. These baseballs were retrieved by volunteers on jet skis.

He said it: "When I first saw [the USS Yorktown], it was like the scene in Field of Dreams. But instead of seeing a baseball field in the cornfield, in this case it was on an aircraft carrier." -- Dan Migala, co-founder of the Property Consulting Group, who worked with the RiverDogs to stage the promotion.

Trendsetter? The Lake Elsinore Storm staged their version of this promotion during this season's California-Carolina League All-Star Game. It took place on the USS Midway, stationed at the Port of San Diego.

2013: Chase's Retirement Party (Trenton Thunder)

Chase the bat dog had been a Trenton ballpark staple since 2002, retrieving bats from home plate and bringing water to the umpires. His retirement ceremony was marked the final public appearance of the beloved 13-year-old golden retriever; he died three days later. The first 2,500 fans in attendance received Chase bobbleheads.

He said it: "We took him out [of the hospital] the day before [the ceremony] because the vet said, 'Take him out of there, let him be in the place where he's happiest.' So that's what we did." -- Eric Lipsman, Thunder senior vice president of corporate sales.

Trendsetter? The Thunder were among the first Minor League teams to have a bat dog. The practice has become commonplace throughout the Minors, with the Greensboro Grasshoppers, Myrtle Beach Pelicans and New Hampshire Fisher Cats being prominent examples.

2014: "Bark at the Park" theme jerseys (El Paso Chihuahuas)

Bark at the Park promotions were nothing new. Nor were theme jerseys. But the Chihuahuas "Bark in the Park" theme jerseys took things to a whole new level as they featured the piercing stare of a larger-than-life chihuahua. The Chihuahuas adopted a chihuahua from the El Paso Humane Society, and proceeds from the jersey auctions went to the organization.

He said it: "I'll never forget the first time I saw it. It's so terrible. It's perfect." -- Chihuahuas general manager Brad Taylor.

Trendsetter? Theme jerseys have gotten much more outlandish in recent seasons as teams show an increasing willingness to embrace the garish and tacky. The Chihuahuas' "Bark in the Park" jersey remains one of the most prominent examples.

2015: Game of Thrones Night (Staten Island Yankees)

Game of Thrones author George R. R. Martin grew up in Bayonne, New Jersey, across the water from Staten Island. His fondness for the area resulted in him making a rare public appearance at a Staten Island Yankees game. The team called themselves the "Direwolves" on this evening, and gave away Game of Thrones-style hats as well as copies of one of Martin's novels.

He said it: "The reason it sold out is because George came, but it was an award-winning night because our team killed it when he was here." -- Mike Holley, Yankees senior director of marketing.

Trendsetter? The Yankees were operating within well-established theme night parameters. However, their execution of a concept that had been done elsewhere was exceptional.