Squeezers play rolls Tides into the summer

The Squeezers are back, just in time for summer.

After a successful debut last year, Triple-A Norfolk once again will morph from the Tides to the Squeezers on Saturday, a play on the popular local cocktail Orange Crush. Not to be confused with the soda of the same name, an Orange Crush is a vodka-infused cocktail that includes orange juice, orange liqueur and lemon-lime soda.

The Tides, who have a lengthy history in professional baseball dating back more than 60 years, will don -- literally and figuratively -- the Squeezers moniker with special jerseys and other Orange Crush-themed drinks at Harbor Park.

"Sort of our unofficial start of summer," said Mike Watkins, Norfolk's assistant GM of sales, marketing and fan experience. "The Orange Crush has become such a big staple of Hampton Roads, we felt it was only fitting to incorporate it into the ballpark experience. Last year was a hit and so we're excited to be doing it again."

Although the origins of the Orange Crush come from Maryland, the drink took off upon its arrival in the region when a local restaurant owner returned home from a trip to Virginia's neighbor to the north in 2004. With slight tweaks to the recipe, the Virginia version now can be found in virtually every restaurant on the oceanfront and the bay.

Like last year, Baltimore's Triple-A affiliate will wear special jerseys and hats to mark the one-night metamorphosis. The Squeezers collection has proven to be one of the more popular among fans and is another reason why Norfolk decided to give the alternate identity another go in 2023.

“Whether you live here or are visiting, no matter where you go, you will see an Orange Crush on the menu," Tides GM Joe Gregory said last year. "When you think of summer in Hampton Roads, you think of baseball and enjoying an Orange Crush. Putting the two together is a natural fit.”

There will be a number of Orange Crush-inspired games, scoreboard graphics and activities, including postgame fireworks featured on Saturday.

The drink has become so popular that Back Bay’s Farmhouse Brewing Company created an IPA inspired by it. The Orange Crush IPA, Back Bay’s Farmhouse brewing says of the beer, “Wherever you are, be prepared to taste the most crushable IPA out there!” Just as the original drink is readily available at the ballpark, the Orange Crush IPA is also on tap at every game.

"We did this last year [on July 16] and doing it a little earlier really gives us the chance to start summer out right, " Watkins said.

"This is going to be another fun night."