MiLB Opening Day begins with surprise

CLEARWATER, Fla. -- Minor League Baseball employees did more than give a tip o' the cap to fans on Thursday. To celebrate MiLB Opening Day, hundreds of Allegiant passengers were gifted hats at St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport.
"Is that a Mud Hens hat?!" Jim Essig, a Toledo native and Mud Hens season ticket holder, was surprised to find out that his morning flight would include a complimentary hat of his hometown team.

"I love going to the games, and this is a perfect start to the day," Essig said.
Flights heading to numerous MiLB cities, including Toledo, Ohio; Memphis, Tennessee; and Norfolk, Virginia, had planes full of hats and smiles.

"My boyfriend was talking about going to the Redbirds game tonight. I guess now that I have a hat we need to go," said Sarah Miller, who was on her way to Memphis.
Allegiant, the Official Airline of Minor League Baseball, serves 129 MiLB teams across the country. Not only is St. Petersburg home to the Minor League Baseball national office, but nearby St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport is one of Allegiant's largest bases of operations in the country. The opportunity to surprise travelers and fans was in the making for several months.

"To have Allegiant in our backyard with so many flights heading to MiLB cities, this was the perfect way to kick off the season," said Scott Ester, manager of partnership marketing and lead on the Allegiant partnership for Minor League Baseball. "It's early and we weren't quite sure how people were going to react, but to see people perk up, clap and be genuinely excited to receive a hat of their hometown team was awesome to see."
Visit MiLB.com to learn more about your local team's Opening Night, see the new merchandise or subscribe to MiLB.TV.