Friday, August 07

Cy Young made his Major League debut 136 years ago today, earning the win as his Cleveland Spiders defeated the Chicago Colts. Here's hoping that you notch the first of many victories today and one day have an award named after you. Welcome to the Baseball Traveler newsletter. Let's talk about Minor League Baseball.

WILMINGTON -- The Wilmington Blue Rocks, Delaware's only professional baseball team, are named after the blue granite found along the Brandywine River. Their primary logo features mascot Rocky Bluewinkle, a moose whose moniker was inspired by a Cold War-era cartoon. If you attend a game at the High-A Nationals affiliate’s home of Frawley Stadium, however, you'll see that these already disparate branding elements have been overshadowed by an enigmatic vegetable.

Wilmington, above all, is the home of Mr. Celery.

This writer was in town for the Blue Rocks' rain-dampened "Celerybration" game on July 18, which included a Mr. Celery pennant giveaway and a celery hat-making station on the concourse. But, really, every game at Frawley Stadium is a Celerybration. And it has been for the entirety of the 21st century.

"There was a fad that started here in the 2000 season. I can't explain it. The vegetable that we call Mr. Celery, he was invented by finding a costume here at the ballpark," said Blue Rocks director of business development Kevin P. Linton, whose tenure with the team runs concurrent to Mr. Celery's. "We decided, 'We're gonna bring somebody out when we score runs.'"

It really is that simple. Mr. Celery emerges from his subterranean ballpark lair after the Blue Rocks score, always to the celebratory strains of Blur’s “Song 2” (a tune known around the ballpark as "Woo-Hoo!"). And ... that's it. He does not do outside appearances. You won't see him in the stands. You won’t get his autograph. To obtain a selfie would be a rare coup.

Despite, or perhaps because of, his inaccessibility, Mr. Celery has become a franchise icon. His cartoon logo is emblazoned upon the exterior of Frawley Stadium, right next to Rocky Bluewinkle. The concourse is home to both Stalker's Pub and O'Celery's Ale House, which sells Mr. Celery-themed Woo-Hoo Brew (which, perhaps mercifully, does not contain actual celery). The Quarry team store features a life-size Mr. Celery drawing on its front door and is home to an entire "Fresh Produce" section dedicated to Mr. Celery apparel and tchotchkes.

A cashier named Henry working at The Quarry said that Mr. Celery plushies are the most popular item and that "basically any question that is asked about merch has something to do with Mr. Celery."

It’s natural to have questions, but you won’t get answers much beyond Linton's "finding a costume" explanation. A 2017 investigation into Mr. Celery's origins included speculation that the costume had been left behind following a promotion dedicated to healthy eating. Blue Rocks beat writer Leo West, who first glimpsed Mr. Celery while working as a batboy, embellished that with his "favorite theory."

"Mr. Celery was literally found in a dumpster." he said. "That is what I tend to believe."

What is known is that, soon after Mr. Celery debuted, a group of University of Delaware students calling themselves the Celery Squad began showing up at the ballpark.

"They would rush the net with their celery stalks in the air and they'd touch the net and try to high-five Mr. Celery," said Linton. "And in 2001, when we were a Royals affiliate, Hall of Famer George Brett came for a visit and he asked to meet Mr. Celery. He had heard so many things about him. … By the end of the season everyone in Minor League Baseball knew all about him."

Who could have guessed that a notoriously bland vegetable could add so much depth and flavor to the ballpark experience? To attend a Blue Rocks game, or to begin working for the team, is to be indoctrinated into the cult of Mr. Celery.

"The first time I was at a game here, I didn't know about it and the Blue Rocks scored. [Mr. Celery] comes out of the tunnel. You see him and everyone's taking their phones out, taking pictures of him," said Blue Rocks fan Steven LaBedz, who was holding a Mr. Celery giveaway pennant and wearing a Mr. Celery hat. "It's almost like the Blue Rocks should make it their primary mascot."

Yes, but wouldn't this lessen the mystique?

"I feel like the confusion is part of the fun of it," said Blue Rocks on-field host Gerasimos Gerovasiliou. "Why is there a celery coming out of nowhere? What does it have to do with the Blue Rocks?"

During the July 18 game, a man dressed as a leafy green vegetable and carrying an inflatable boom box introduced himself as DJ Kale Yeah. He was at the ballpark on behalf of Healthy Foods for Healthy Kids, an organization dedicated to "providing youth with joyful gardening experiences."

"Mr. Celery is an inspiration to all the vegetable mascots and I definitely look up to him," said DJ Kale Yeah. "We’re both healthy foods, so I think we're on the same team. The vegetable team."

Mr. Celery is not a team player, though, preferring to remain in solitude until a Blue Rock crosses the plate. His fame could not have been predicted, nor was it sought out.

"We're very fortunate to have had this phenomenon happen to us," said Linton. "And it was just dumb luck."

Mr. Celery could not be reached for comment.

Thanks to everyone who got in touch regarding last week's piece about Rhashan West-Bey, the Williamsport Crosscutters' director of smiles. I would now like to bring your attention to an accompanying video piece that I'm very proud of, created in collaboration with MLB live content coordinator Kyle Mace and producer-editor Patrick Snipes. Click on the above image, or the below link, to check it out. You'll be glad you did. Please share widely.

RHASHAN WEST-BEY, WILLIAMSPORT’S DIRECTOR OF SMILES  

The latest edition of Promo Preview is out and waiting for your joyous consumption. Two of the promos discussed therein have already happened -- Seinfeld Night in Brooklyn and Rocket City's Jimothy celebration -- but there are still 10 more that you (yes, YOU) may be able to attend. Even if you can't, you'll still want to know about them.

Check it out:

READ THE AUGUST EDITION OF PROMO PREVIEW HERE

And this is one of them. Thank you very much for being here. Get in touch anytime via email at benjamin.hill@mlb.com and please follow me on Instagram (@thebensbiz), X (@bensbiz) and Bluesky (@bensbiz.bsky.social). I enjoy hearing from you.

Oh, and if you don’t have plans this weekend: Why not go on a road trip to see the entirety of the Atlanta Braves system? I’ve got you covered.

Contact Benjamin Hill

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