Top 10 upcoming promotions

After a long, cold, promotion-free winter, a new season is finally upon us. The air is heavy with anticipation as Minor League baseball fans everywhere wonder what promos might be in store for them during the 2007 campaign.

Wonder no more. Every Tuesday during the season, MiLB.com's "Promo Preview" will attempt to make sense of the madness that is the Minor League promotional scene by highlighting 10 of the very best. It's going to be awesome.

But enough talk. Talk doesn't sell tickets. Here we go with a special Opening Day edition of Promo Preview:

Durham Bulls (International League)
First Pitch by 82nd All-American Free Fall Team
Thursday, April 5 vs. Syracuse Chiefs
The Durham Bulls are defying baseball logic by choosing to start the season in a freefall as Fort Bragg's very own All-American Free Fall Team will make the ceremonial first pitch a memorable one. The unit will parachute into the stadium to deliver the ball, giving a new definition to the word "airmail." Ironic that the Bulls' opponent will be the new-look Syracuse Chiefs, who go into the season having just dropped the "Sky" from their name.

Fresno Grizzlies (Pacific Coast League)
Guaranteed Good Weather and Win
Thursday, April 5 vs. Portland Beavers
The Grizzlies' home opener was rained out in 2006, a traumatic experience that no one wants to see repeated. If Thursday's game is -- God forbid -- rained out, all fans will receive a free ticket voucher in addition to being able to use their Opening Day ticket stub for admission to a future game. But as Ron Popeil would say: "But wait, there's more!" The Grizzlies aren't just guaranteeing good weather; they're guaranteeing a victory. If they don't -- God forbid -- then fans will receive a voucher good for admission to Sunday's contest. The bottom line: the fans can't lose.

Indianapolis Indians (International League)
Guaranteed Warm Weather
Thursday, April 5 vs. Columbus Clippers
With a 2 p.m. start time, Thursday's Indians-Clippers game will be the first played in the Minors this season. The Indians, mindful of the fact that April in Indianapolis is not always pleasant, are taking the Grizzlies (see above) one step further by guaranteeing that the game will be played in warm weather -- at least 60 degrees. If the game-time temperature is less than that, then all fans will receive a free ticket to another contest in April. Things aren't looking good for the Indians right now -- according to Weather.com, tomorrow's high in Indianapolis will be a crisp 44 degrees.

Lakeland Flying Tigers (Florida State League)
Opening Night Celebration
Thursday, April 5 vs. Tampa Yankees
It's the start of a new era in Lakeland as the longtime Detroit affiliate has a new name and logo. "Flying Tigers" is a reference to the fact that the team's stadium and training complex are located on the site of a former World War II facility for American and British airmen. On Thursday, the club will celebrate the beginning of the Flying Tigers era with an assortment of Opening Day festivities, including an Air Force flyover and big-band music. Perhaps most interestingly, two members of the "original" 1941 Flying Tigers will make an appearance. The moniker was first used as a nickname for a group of elite and highly skilled World War II fighter pilots.

Lynchburg Hillcats (Carolina League)
Brandon Inge Bobblehead Giveaway
Thursday, April 5 vs. Potomac Nationals
Bobblehead giveaways, a staple of many Minor League teams' promotional calendar, don't really begin in earnest until the pageantry of Opening Day has faded and the season's long grind begins. The Hillcats are getting a jump on the competition, however, by giving away 1,000 Brandon Inge bobblehead dolls before the first game of the season. But that's not the only unorthodox aspect of this promo. After all, why would a Pirates affiliate be giving away a doll of a player who has spent his entire career in the Tigers organization? Simple -- Inge is a Lynchburg native and his bobblehead will feature him decked out in the uniform of his alma mater, nearby Brookline High School.

Modesto Nuts (California League)
Mic Gillette (Tower of Power) Concert and Fireworks Show
Thursday, April 5 vs. Visalia Oaks
The Nuts' home opener doesn't start until 7:05 p.m. local time, but make sure to arrive early -- especially if you're looking to get your fix of some horn-driven funk (and who isn't?). Mic Gillette, a founding member of the immortal '70s funk group Tower of Power, will perform a pregame concert that will immediately be followed by a fireworks display. Only after all that will the game get under way. It's gonna be a long night. A long, funky night.

Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (California League)
Opening Night Festivities
Thursday, April 5 vs. Lake Elsinore Storm
The Quakes' Opening Night festivities have something for everyone. In fact, only a concise, bullet-point listing can convey just how thoroughly the team has its bases covered when it comes to the evening's agenda. Some highlights:
• American Idol contestant Joelle James will sing the National Anthem.
• Troy Percival, who recently signed a Minor League contract with Anaheim to retire as an Angel, will throw out the first pitch.
• The Quakes' starting pitcher will be none other than rehabbing Major Leaguer (and 2005 American League Cy Young winner) Bartolo Colon.
• A fireworks spectacular will follow the ballgame.
And to top it all off, it's the season's first "Thirsty Thursday," so beer and soda are just a buck. All in all, not a bad way to spend a weekday evening in April.

Jacksonville Suns (Southern League)
1967 Replica Nolan Ryan Jersey Giveaway
Saturday, April 7 vs. Tennessee Smokies
All season long, the Suns will celebrate the 40th anniversary of their championship-winning 1967 squad. Back then, the team was a Triple-A affiliate of the New York Mets and featured future Shea Stadium standouts such as Tug McGraw and Jerry Koosman. But the most notable member of the '67 Suns was none other than Nolan Ryan. The future all-time strikeout leader made three appearances with the club and whiffed an incredible 18 batters over just seven innings of work. On Saturday, the Suns will commemorate Ryan's memorable cameo with the team by giving away 1967 Ryan replica jerseys to the first 3,000 fans in attendance.

Trenton Thunder (Eastern League)
Chien-Ming Wang Replica Jersey
Saturday, April 7 vs. Bowie Baysox
Saturday is "Kids' Opening Day" in Trenton, and to mark the occasion the team will be giving away Chien-Ming Wang replica jerseys to the first 1,000 children in attendance (ages 5-15, no cheating). Wang, now one of the most vital members of the New York Yankees' starting rotation, spent the majority of the 2003 and '04 campaigns with the Thunder. He went 13-11 over 39 starts for the club, striking out 174 batters while walking just 58.

Hickory Crawdads (South Atlantic League)
15-cent Hot Dogs
Monday, April 9 vs. Delmarva Shorebirds
After opening the season with three games on the road, the Crawdads will play their home opener on Monday evening. This contest will mark the start of the team's 15th season, and they've come up with an ideal way to celebrate -- hot dogs will be just 15 cents, all game long. This is the kind of culinary bargain that doesn't come around often, and the fans are sure to take advantage. After all, a $20 bill will buy 133 dogs, and you'll still have a nickel left over.