Country icons figure into Nashville's equation

Country music legends don't leave the proverbial nest in Nashville.

That's because the Triple-A Sounds have planned a series of nesting dolls featuring four such icons for giveaways twice this season, the first of which will happen at Saturday's 7:35 p.m. game against Gwinnett at First Horizon Park.

The Brewers affiliate has turned larger-than-life personalities Dolly Parton, Johnny Cash, Reba McEntire and George Jones into a four-piece collectible honoring not just country music, but Music City altogether.

“Having a physical item to go out to those fans that come through our gates to remind them -- sports, music, food, everything makes this city so vibrant, and we have the opportunity to celebrate it,” Nashville entertainment and promotions manager Karly Deland said. “That’s a very rewarding and exciting thing to do.”

The unique promotion directly stems from the Sounds’ Country Legends race, which debuted in 2016 and is just like the parent club’s Sausage Race or the Nationals’ Presidents’ Race, but with country music stars. It started out with Cash, McEntire and Jones, and the universally beloved Dolly entered the competition in 2018.

.@DollyParton is going to go 75-0 in the Country Legends Race this season @FirstHorizonPrk 💯 pic.twitter.com/ECBTuWEb04

— Nashville Sounds (@nashvillesounds) February 16, 2022

To help come up with different giveaways for the season, Deland puts something of a suggestion box on her desk and encourages everyone around the office to submit their thoughts. That’s where the idea of the nesting dolls came from.

“This year, I was kind of looking for something different, but also nostalgic,” Deland said. “The majority of those people that probably grew up listening to Johnny Cash might resonate a little bit better with a retro toy.”

A few years ago, the club decided to capitalize on the beloved nightly race and do Country Legends giveaways every other year, starting with a bobblehead in 2018. In 2021, the club gave away Johnny Cash and Reba McEntire wind-up racers. This year, the theme of small toys continues.

As with any well-thought-out giveaway, baseball fans outside of Nashville want to get in on the fun, but unfortunately, only those in attendance can snag the dolls.

“I get about five emails a week from people randomly finding my contact off our website asking stuff like, ‘Hey, can you send one to this address?’” Deland said. “It’s definitely kind of taken more of a fan liking than I could have really imagined.”

The giveaway coincides with Military Appreciation Night, which Deland thought was fitting given that Cash served in the Air Force and Jones served in the Marines. The Sounds are expecting a sellout crowd for the evening, and only the first 1,000 fans through the gate will receive the dolls.

For Deland, who sees the development of these promotions from concept to fruition, it’s like Christmas Day when the fans react to getting something equal parts humorous and special.

“You see people’s live reactions, you see people’s reactions on social media … it’s very exciting,” Deland said. “Seeing someone have such a positive reaction to something so small is very rewarding.”

If you can’t make it out to First Horizon Park for the first giveaway, fear not. The club will have a second one on Wednesday, July 5.