Saturday, June 28

When this edition of the Baseball Traveler newsletter lands in your inbox, I’ll be somewhere between Omaha and Des Moines. These Triple-A locales used to be part of the Pacific Coast but are now International; only in the world of Minor League Baseball does this make sense. More on my current trip below, but first:

Welcome to Promo Preview, a monthly round-up of the best promotions taking place throughout Minor League Baseball. May highlights include podcasts, poetry, a man standing atop a mound of spaghetti and, of course, much more.

Chandler Simpson stolen base counter bobblehead giveaway
Montgomery Biscuits (Double-A TB), May 2
When the Biscuits put this bobblehead on their promo schedule, they probably didn’t think Simpson would already be in the Major Leagues. The 24-year-old’s speedy ascent to Tampa Bay included a phenomenal 78-game stretch with the Biscuits last season, during which he hit .351 and stole 73 bases. Speaking of which, the stolen base counter at the base of this bobblehead is going to need constant updating. You cannot stop Chandler Simpson; you can only hope to contain him. Tickets »

Spencer Arrighetti Spaghetti bobblehead
Sugar Land Space Cowboys (Triple-A HOU), May 2
Corpus Christi Hooks (Double-A HOU), May 10
Combine "Spencer" and "Arrighetti" and you end up, more or less, with spaghetti. A lot of it, in this case, as the Spencer Arrighetti Spaghetti bobblehead features the Astros right-hander holding a meatball-topped plate of his favorite Italian foodstuff while standing atop a heaping pile of -- you guessed it -- even more spaghetti. Fans can get a double helping of this saucy figurine, as both Sugar Land (tickets ») and Corpus Christi (tickets ») are giving it away this month.  

National Baseball Poetry Festival
Worcester Red Sox (Triple-A BOS), May 2-4
There’s debate regarding where the action in "Casey at the Bat" took place -- the Stockton Ports have some thoughts -- but it’s not in doubt that the poem’s author, Ernest Thayer, hailed from Worcester. That makes the current home of Boston’s Triple-A affiliate a perfect location for the National Baseball Poetry Festival. Poetry readings and events will take place throughout the weekend at Polar Park and nearby locations, with the Woo Sox hosting the Toledo Mud Hens all the while. Tickets »

Start Your Own Podcast Night
Winston-Salem Dash (High-A CWS), May 8
If there’s one thing the world needs, it’s more podcasts. The Winston-Salem Dash will help make your podcasting dreams a podcasting reality, providing fans access to their onsite podcasting booth. Five dollars buys five minutes in the booth, probably a better bang for your buck than once again underperforming at the Speed Pitch. Tickets »

Forged By Fire Night with Steel Workers alternate identity
Lehigh Valley IronPigs (Triple-A PHI), May 10
The IronPigs’ name references the pig iron used in the manufacture of steel. Lehigh Valley’s blue-collar roots will be celebrated more explicitly on Forged By Fire Night, during which the team will play as the Steel Workers. "The black base of the jersey melds into steel gray at the top," reports the team, "representing the transformation of raw material into steel." Come to think of it, this could also be utilized as a metaphor for Minor League Baseball. Tickets »

Sunday Runday with Seigo Masabuchi running a marathon
St. Paul Saints (Triple-A MIN), May 11
Seigo Masabuchi is a St. Paul Saints’ "Ushertainer," best known for his nightly karaoke performances atop the dugout. He’s a man of many talents, however, and among them is long-distance running. Masabuchi will run a marathon during a Saints game, the 96th marathon of his career and his second within the confines of CHS Field. Masabuchi says that the fans who root for him "lift the spirits somehow," so make sure to cheer him on during each of his 84 laps around the concourse. Tickets »

Daisies Night with Megan Cavanagh
Fort Wayne TinCaps (High-A SD), May 17
From 1945-54 the Fort Wayne Daises were a powerhouse within the All-American Girls Professional League, the all-female circuit immortalized in "A League of Their Own." The TinCaps pay tribute to the Daises on an annual basis, suiting up as such while welcoming team and league alumni and their family members to the ballpark. Megan Cavanagh, who played Marla Hooch in "A League of Their Own," will be on hand to sign autographs and, hopefully, blast some dingers. Tickets »

Cape Fear Crocs Night
Fayetteville Woodpeckers (Single-A HOU), May 23
Before Fayetteville had the Woodpeckers, the city was home to the late, lamented Cape Fear Crocs. This fearsome South Atlantic League entity, originally known as the Fayetteville Generals, moved to New Jersey following the 2001 season and became the Lakewood (now Jersey Shore) BlueClaws. The Woodpeckers will play as the Cape Fear Crocs on May 23, part of a wide-ranging salute to the team that once was. Arrive early to receive a Crocs short-sleeved hoodie. It will be the envy of all your peers, assuming your peers are obsessed with Minor League Baseball minutiae. Tickets »

Honey Drippers Weekend
Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp (Triple-A MIA), May 24-25
The Jumbo Shrimp have staged many absurd promotions over the course of their existence, but Honey Drippers Weekend marks the first time they’ll utilize an alternate identity. This layered and vibrant alter ego pays tribute to a "a delicious frozen treat served in a variety of flavors while often including fresh fruit." Both games also feature a Honey Drippers hooded T-shirt giveaway, so that you, too, can look like a colorful Jacksonville dessert. Tickets »

Fresno Tacos 10th Anniversary
Fresno Grizzlies (Single-A COL), May 30
The Jacksonville Honey Drippers are one of hundreds of regional food-based identities that have graced the Minor League scene over the past decade. It all started with the Fresno Grizzlies, who launched the Tacos in 2015. This was as an extension of the club’s Taco Truck Throwdown, which started as an in-game event in 2011 and now exists as a standalone offseason endeavor. 2025’s iteration of the Tacos features a taco truck logo and a taco sleeve patch that reads "The OG Alter Ego." A lot of people will attend this game. It’s the taco the town. Tickets »

It’s true -- check the above graphic. Last night I had what I can currently only assume was a great time in Omaha, as the Storm Chasers’ staged "Take Meow’t to the Ballgame." Now I’m on my way to Des Moines, probably trying to tune in to a classic country station en route. (On the way to Reading a couple weeks back I heard Jimmy Dean’s "Dear Ivan" and found it fascinating.)

Last week I unveiled all my 2025 road trip itineraries and my inbox has been inundated ever since. Thanks to everyone who has gotten in touch, sharing their own ballpark road trips, offering suggestions and applying to be a Designated Eater at the ballparks I’m visiting.

Speaking of, shoutout to my Designated Eaters on this current trip:

Omaha Storm Chasers: Steve and Katie Ericson
Iowa Cubs: Jim Hafley
Cedar Rapids Kernels: Sarah Maas
Peoria Chiefs: Josh Ebbert

If you want to be a Designated Eater on one of my future trips -- in other words, a fan who samples the ballpark cuisine my gluten-free diet prohibits -- then send me an email. (Subject line: Designated Eater and the location you are interested in).

Next up: South Carolina! And one team in North Carolina! Let’s go:

Finally, please follow me on social media for real-time dispatches from the road. @bensbiz on Twitter (X) and @TheBensBiz on Instagram. Tell everyone you know to do so as well, and then start telling people you don’t know. A stranger’s just a friend you haven’t met.

Thanks for reading. I appreciate you.

Contact Benjamin Hill

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