Dam Breakers, Shantymen get back to nature

Teams in the Midwest League share one thing beyond geography -- fan bases with a passion for the outdoors.

Two such High-A clubs showed off their natural sides with alternate identities on July 29, as the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers became the Lake Winnebago Shantymen and the West Michigan Whitecaps played as the Grand Rapids Dam Breakers.

With aquatic themes, these Minor League teams treated their home crowds to creative jerseys while also educating fans about their local environments.

Wisconsin drew inspiration for its alternative identity from its sister team, the Fond du Lac Dock Spiders, 40 miles south in the Northwoods League, a collegiate summer wooden-bat circuit. The Shantymen moniker was a finalist in Fond du Lac's 2017 name-the-team contest, so the Timber Rattlers fittingly partnered with the Dock Spiders to honor one of Wisconsin's favorite winter pastimes.

For the uninitiated, Badger State winters are so cold that Lake Winnebago, Wisconsin's largest inland lake, which spans from Appleton to Fond du Lac, develops several feet of ice. Avid fishermen can drive their trucks onto the lake and bring shanties -- small wooden sheds -- onto the ice to keep warm while patiently luring sturgeon.

"It's a huge thing for us in the state of Wisconsin, more for the Fox Valley, during February, it's one of the big things that draws a whole bunch of people to Lake Winnebago for us," Timber Rattlers entertainment coordinator Jake Jirschele said. "It was a no-brainer for us, and we decided to roll with it. It took off great. It had crazy popularity for us and the surrounding Fox Valley area."

What should we name our rally sturgeon?! 🔥🐟#shantymen #tratnation pic.twitter.com/5uDguJqEec

— Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (@TimberRattlers) July 30, 2023

The Brewers affiliate had already found success with alternate jerseys this season as the Udder Tuggers -- another finalist name option for Fond du Lac -- but Saturday’s game wound up being an even bigger draw, with 5,187 fans in attendance. Not only that, but the Shantymen merchandise -- including "Throwin' Spears and Crushin' Beers" t-shirts -- flew off the shelves and set a franchise record for in-store stadium sales.

Fans arrived more than two hours early to line up for bobbleheads and show off their own shanties, and the team brought in local nonprofits, including Sturgeon for Tomorrow, to educate fans about sustainable fishing.

West Michigan, meanwhile, brought back an alternative identity it introduced in 2021, inspired by a grassroots movement to restore the Grand River’s natural habitat.

The Tigers affiliate plays in Grand Rapids, but the city hasn't had rapids in over a century due to a series of dams constructed while the city industrialized in the late 1800s. But over the past 15 years, local groups like Grand Rapids WhiteWater have worked with local politicians to revitalize the river and bring outdoor activities to the downtown area.

Parts of the Grand River have crumbling concrete along the banks instead of natural elements, and it's not possible to boat very far. The group also believes breaking the dams will help sustain the endangered snuffbox mussels -- which was nearly West Michigan's alternative identity before settling on the Dam Breakers. The project has a ways to go as it works with government agencies, but the city is hopeful it can start, well, breaking dams soon.

"It's a big thing in our community, being outdoors is a huge thing to most people in West Michigan," Whitecaps promotions and fan entertainment manager Ben Love said. "It's a perfect partnership for us to raise awareness for this project. Many of our mayors and local politicians are behind it. A lot of our big sponsors are behind it too, so it kind of just made sense to partner with the Grand Rapids WhiteWater project and kind of help educate people."

West Michigan put together several themed activities to encourage fan engagement with the project. The team offered free parking for anyone who kayaked to the dock outside the stadium. It hosted a home run derby for kids -- using kayak paddles instead of bats. Plus they auctioned off the themed jerseys, which looked like waders, that were worn that night.

Food-themed alternative identities remain quite popular -- West Michigan also plays as the Beer City Bung Hammers -- but outdoor activities will remain a big draw in Minor League Baseball, especially in the Midwest League.

"You have to hit what your fans are interested in." Love said. "For us in the Midwest League, we have a lot of niche markets, and things like that, finding what those people like, you’re playing to your strengths in that category."