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Minor Enterprise

minor enterprise

Gamecock And Blowie, Together At Last


Of course you all know the University of South Carolina Gamecock, pictured at left. But you may not be familiar with Blowie, the mascot of the Columbia Blowfish of the Coastal Plain League (the only costumed mascot who is deadly poisonous if not properly cooked). I'm not sure of the circumstances which brought them together, so all I can assume is that it was a part of God's great plan. Gamecock and Blowie were meant to be together; it's not unnatural or disgusting at all. Oh come on, look at the photo, it won't bite. Stop being such a baby! Just try it this one time. More »

get the tiny handcuffs, lou

Baby's First Breathalyzer Exam: Priceless

One of the reasons I don't attend many minor league baseball games in Tennessee: All the drunken babies. It's the Chattanooga Lookouts' popular Half Price Beer Night For Babies promotion, in which anyone two or younger can get completely hammered under the close supervision of team mascot Looie the Lookout (foreground). Suddenly Britney Spears doesn't look like such a bad parent, eh? If you like your babies with starter Mohawks and raucously intoxicated, then enjoy more in the video after the jump. More »

marching to peoria

Cubs Preparing For When Ryne Sandberg Becomes Their Manager

When the day finally comes that Lou Piniella explodes like Port Chicago — oh, and he will — who will step in for the Cubs? How about Ryne Sandberg? The Hall of Famer, now manager of the Class A Peoria Chiefs, will try out the manager's chair when he returns to Wrigley Field on July 29; his team taking on the Kane County Cougars in a Midwest League game. It's believed to be the first minor league game ever to be played at Wrigley. More »

minor enterprise

On May 15, The Fresno Grizzlies Will Sweep The Leg


Time once again for Minor Enterprise, a celebration of God's gift of Minor League baseball promotions, mascots and fans. Also, The View's Joy Behar dishes celebrity gossip.

We do not train to be merciful here. Mercy is for the weak. A man confronts you, he is the enemy. An enemy deserves no mercy. What do we study here? THE WAY OF THE FIST, SIR. And what is that way? STRIKE FIRST. STRIKE HARD. NO MERCY, SIR. And when the Fresno Grizzlies stage a promotion, they also take no prisoners. Thursday, May 15 is Totally Rad '80s Night at Chukchansi Park, where the honored guest will be Cobra Kai karate dojo bad boy Johnny Lawrence. Yes, Daniel-san's nemesis, in person. Not for the meek!

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minor enterprise

Finally, A Pro Baseball Team With Glow-In-The-Dark Caps

How many times have you asked yourself, 'Why can't I see my favorite baseball cap logo when the lights are out?' (If you're like me, plenty). Well, if your favorite team is the Casper Ghosts of the Pioneer Rookie League, then you don't have that problem. This season the Ghosts (formerly the Casper Rockies) became the only pro baseball team with glow-in-the-dark caps, which could come in very handy during a power outage. Follow the Ghosts to safety! This fine item is now available in the team store, along with other Ghost merchandise based on Casper the Friendly Ghost, for whom the team is named. (This is all true). Terrifying glow-in-the-dark cap action following the jump! More »

cat people

Deadspin Vs. Cat Lady. Let's Watch The Fun

It seems that Deadspin readers have been naughty once again. On Friday many of you infiltrated The Animal Advocate blog comments section, and hilarity, as they say, ensued. But like most parties around here, things may have gone a little too far. Iracane has been notified and a full investigation is underway, but one thing we know for certain: Cat enthusiasts are touchy, and have very sharp claws. To get you up to speed on all of this: More »

i can haz dignity?

T-Bones' Michael Vick Promotion Under Fire

Well, it seems that not everyone's thrilled with the Kansas City T-Bones' big Michael Vick baseball promotion. The NAACP is one organization that's a little peeved. And so is Kristy Winfrey, who authors the Kansas City-based Animal Advocate blog. There is a warmth in my heart as big as a certain deceased race horse when I read this blog, because Kristy seems just as insane passionate as the Barbaro fan club. And I miss that. More »

minor enterprise

T-Bones Welcome Michael Vick To The Neighborhood

It's the glorious return of Minor Enterprise, a celebration of God's gift of Minor League baseball promotions. Also, we will plagiarize some Rachael Ray recipes.

The team that gave you the Redneck Olympics (featuring the grueling mullet competition) finally has an event that you can attend with your dog. Since Michael Vick is incarcerated very near their home field, the Kansas City T-Bones (Independent Northern League) have decided to throw a Michael Vick Welcome to the Neighborhood Night on May 28. The best part: The T-Bones will be wearing black and white striped jerseys, and the visiting Gary SouthShore RailCats will wear bright orange jumpsuit replica jerseys. (Note to Cincinnati Bengals: Do not steal this idea).

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minor enterprise

The West Virginia Power's Mascot Has A Rather Large Package

Here's Charile, one of the mascots of the West Virginia Power baseball team, a Class-AA affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. The Power celebrated the beginning of their season recently with a contest to see who could turn in the best drawing of one of their colorful mascots. The winner was Ariel Benson, a middle schooler who knows that: A. All baseball mascots are on steroids, apparently, and B. Mascots who take steroids do not suffer from shrunken genitalia. Charlie is packing a lot down there! More »

job opportunities

Bonds, Clemens Providing Endless Comedy Fodder For Minor League Teams

As long as Minor League Baseball has general managers willing to put out comedy press releases, Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens will always have job offers. Last week we told you about the Huntsville Stars' offer to make Clemens their backup mascot. Then on Wednesday, Bonds — who wants to play in the majors but has had zero bites — got a similar offer from the Lake Elsinore (Calif.) Storm. More »

fun for the entire family!

Get Ready For The Pomp And Pageantry Of Eliot Spitzer Night

Our first 2008 chapter of Minor Enterprise is still a few weeks away, but there's no reason we can't get a jump on the Minor League Baseball promotional season with this bit of news: The Macon Music of the South Coast League will hold Eliot Spitzer Night on June 13th. I already have my tickets. More »

roger clemens

Roger Clemens' Next Employment Opportunity

If Roger Clemens ever tires of heading out there and "defending" "his" name," he's gonna come to the harsh reality that he is, after all, unemployed. As you wonder aloud what he might be qualified to do — we suggest perhaps dry cleaning — the Huntsville Stars, the Double A affiliate for the Milwaukee Brewers, have a job they think that might serve him: Mascot. More »

white power

Minor League Team Catering To Very Specific Fan Base

The West Virginia Power are the Class A affiliate for the Milwaukee Brewers. Baseball is more popular in West Virginia than you ever realized. There you have it. More »

minor enterprise

They're Celebrating In The Streets Of Ft. Myers

This happened a while ago but we thought it should be mentioned: The Ft. Myers Miracle's "Billy Donovan Night" won Minor League Baseball's Promotion of the Year award. The gala promotion, in which any fan who attended the game at the Lee County Sports Complex could negotiate their way out of their ticket, received 28 percent of the vote by MiLB.com voters. More »

heavy metal

Reading Phillies Start A Turf War

The Reading Phillies are preparing to replace the playing surface at FirstEnergy Stadium, and of course they're going to remove the old grass as economically as possible: With rock bands and a demolition derby. Hey, the town's only rototiller is rented out that weekend. More »

minor enterprise

Time To Bust A Move With The West Virginia Power

Time to check in on the world of minor league baseball with Rick Chandler's Minor Enterprise!

As the minor league baseball season winds down to its final days, leave it to the West Virginia Power to bring the heat one last time. The team has already given us so much this year — Tribute to Indoor Plumbing Night; the World's Tiniest Elvis; Salute to Cheese — but it still has one great gift to bestow.

Get on down to Appalachian Power Park tonight for a spectacular "Tribute to '80s Rap" celebration. You will not be disappointed.

Too young to remember the cultural significance of Too Short, 2 Live Crew or the Sugar Hill Gang? Never done the Wild Thing or the Humpty Dance? It's hard to believe that there is a segment of the population who has never donned a nylon track suit and crossed their arms to the great Run DMC's You Be Illin'. Salt n Pepa. Whodini. Public Enemy. Tonight's game against the Lexington Legend features all of these hip-hop pioneers and more, samples of their body of work lovingly played over the public address system and featured on the scoreboard. For God's sake, they'll probably play DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince! The Fresh Prince! You missed Thursday's World's Fastest Fat Man Race, do not miss this. (Ed. Note: We want some Rob Base. Badly.)

More great promotions after the jump.

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welcome to thunderdome

South Carolina Needs A Spokesperson!


Just over at the South Carolina Tourisim official site, and do you know what? They don't have a spokesperson. This should be remedied, and of course there are only two candidates who could handle it. Miss Teen South Carolina; and Blowie, the mascot for the Coastal Plain League Columbia, S.C. Blowfish. More »

minor enterprise

Bobble Hard, America. Bobble Proud


Time to check in on the world of minor league baseball promotions with Rick Chandler's Minor Enterprise!

Ever wonder why you've never seen a Vladimir Putin bobblehead doll? The Russians wouldn't know what to make of such a thing. Ach! I touch it, and head bounces in unseemly manner! (Smashes it with shoe). We are not amused by foolish spring toy! No, the bobblehead is a truly American idea, representing a rich tradition handed down by the founding fathers. The bobblehead doll is America.

No one understands this better than minor league baseball, which rolls out not one, not two, but four great bobble promotions over the next five days. Leading off is the great, scruffy John Kruk, who, in addition to being a former Phillie, once played for the Las Vegas Stars. Kruk will be honored tonight by the Las Vegas 51s, as the team is now called, who will give out his bobble likeness to the first 2,500 fans who show up for their game with the Tucson Sidewinders. Before he was a Baseball Tonight superstar, Kruk played for the Stars from 1984-86, winning the Pacific Coast League batting title in '85. The man himself will be in attendance, and will be demanding polish sausages, no doubt. You know where the snack bar is.

From sunny Las Vegas we take you to Sioux Falls, S.D., where another TV legend, former NBC News anchor Tom Brokaw, will be bobbleized on Saturday by the Sioux Falls Canaries (Independent American Association). Brokaw was born in Webster, S.D., and married a former Miss South Dakota, and you can honor him by attending the game between the Canaries and the St. Paul Saints. And don't forget that Saturday is Aerospace Appreciation Night for the Lancaster JetHawks (Class-A California League), who will be honoring that great moon pedestrian, Buzz Aldrin, in a game against the Stockton Ports. Dr. Aldrin will take part in a pair of special ceremonies on the field before and during the game, and the first 1,000 fans will receive a bobblehead doll featuring Aldrin in the flight suit he wore when he became one of the first two men to walk on the moon (that is, if you don't believe that the entire thing was faked).

Also, the Auburn Doubledays (Class-A New York-Penn League) will rock hard on Tuesday, Aug. 28, with Johan Santana bobbleheads to the first 1,000 fans at their game with the Mahoning Valley Scrappers. The great Minnesota Twin played for Auburn in 1997 and '98. A different kind of bobble promotion occurred on Aug. 19, as the Florence Freedom (Independent Frontier League) handed out bobbletowers to the first 1,000 fans who showed up and claimed a voucher. Believed to be the first bobble depiction of a stationary landmark, the toy represents the famous Florence, Kentucky water tower on which the words "Florence, Y'All" are painted. A full report on that event after the jump.

A tribute to Gene Simmons of KISS, the triumphant return of Mariner Moose, and I forget to mention Alzheimer's Awareness Night, all after the jump.

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