Check out the best Minor League promos of opening week
Benjamin Hill travels the nation collecting stories about what makes Minor League Baseball unique. This excerpt from his newsletter is a mere taste of the smorgasbord of delights he offers every week. Read the full newsletter here, and subscribe to his newsletter here.
Welcome to Promo Preview. This column has gone through many permutations over the past two decades but remains, as always, dedicated to highlighting the best gameday promotions taking place throughout the world of Minor League Baseball.
In 2025, Promo Preview will generally be a monthly concern, but the season has just begun, and all 120 Minor League teams are now in action. There¡¯s so much going on! Right now! Here are the highlights from the first full-throttle week of the Minor League season.
April 4: On this Friday and every Friday, the Beloit Sky Carp (High-A MIA) take the field as the Wisconsin Supper Clubbers. It¡¯s an ode to the state¡¯s unique, tradition-laden supper club scene. The primary logo features the official cocktail of Wisconsin, the brandy old fashioned. All about the Supper Clubbers ?
The Gwinnett Stripers (Triple-A ATL) pay tribute to their region¡¯s Negro Leagues history, suiting up as the Atlanta Black Crackers. Go see the Stripers ?
Richmond¡¯s The Diamond begins its 40th and final season, as the Flying Squirrels (Double-A SF) will relocate to new CarMax Park in 2026. John Smoltz, erstwhile Richmond Brave, is throwing out the first pitch. Get tickets to a game in Richmond ?
April 5: The Altoona Curve (Double-A PIT), who last season gave away a Paul Skenes bobble-stache, remain fixated on wiggling hair follicles. Their Jared Jones bobblehead features a luxurious bobbling mane, proving he¡¯s head and shoulders above the competition. Get tickets to a Curve game ?
Did you know that the chicken tender, humble yet beloved, was invented at a restaurant in Manchester, N.H.? The New Hampshire Fisher Cats (Double-A TOR), seeking to convey this message to the world, will play as the -- you guessed it -- Manchester Chicken Tenders. See a game in New Hampshire ?
"Bull Durham," directed by former Minor Leaguer Ron Shelton, put the Durham Bulls (Triple-A TB) on the map. The team stages its annual tribute to this cinematic classic, in which no lollygagging will be tolerated. But that¡¯s not all: The Bulls¡¯ new bat dog, Champ, will be in attendance. Champ replaces his older brother, Ripken, who unexpectedly passed away in January. Get tickets to a Bulls game ?
On the topic of International League bat dog debuts: Bruce is ready to take the field for the Rochester Red Wings (Triple-A WSH). Go get 'em, Bruce. See the Red Wings in Rochester ?
April 6: The Erie SeaWolves (Double-A DET) seem to wear a different jersey every day of the week (seriously, check their promo calendar). Sunday is their first ¡°Fauxback Fun Day¡± of the season, in which they don unis ¡°inspired by vintage baseball and classic animation.¡± Get tickets to a SeaWolves game ?
Carl Maxey made his mark as both a boxer and civil rights lawyer. The Spokane Indians (High-A COL) pay tribute to his legacy by playing as the King Carls. See a game in Spokane ?
April 7: It¡¯s a Monday, Minor League Baseball¡¯s universal off day. Take a break, listen to MiLB.com¡¯s The Show Before the Show podcast.
April 8: You don¡¯t just want Moore. You need Moore. The Rocket City Trash Pandas (Double-A LAA) have Moore. First 1,500 fans through the gates receive a Christian Moore bobblehead. Moore, the No. 1 prospect in the Angels organization, has started the year with Rocket City. Get tickets to a Trash Pandas game ?
April 9: The Portland Sea Dogs (Double-A BOS) play in Red Sox Country and have served as a Boston affiliate for most of their existence. However! The team was a Marlins affiliate for the first nine seasons of its existence (1994-2002); on Wednesdays, the Sea Dogs wear teal throwback uniforms. Last season one of the players who wore this uniform was, appropriately, Kyle Teel-- since traded to the White Sox organization, where he sometimes wears a slightly bluer shade of teal as a member of the Triple-A Charlotte Knights. But even without Teel, the Sea Dogs are carrying on with the zeal for teal. Get tickets to a Sea Dogs game ?
Slider, bat dog for the Myrtle Beach Pelicans (High-A CHC), turns eight years old (56 in dog years). The Pelicans are throwing him a party. See the Pelicans in Myrtle Beach ?
April 10: Are you a fan of the illicit production and transport of alcohol? If so, the Bowling Green Bootleggers are for you. The team normally known as the Bowling Green Hot Rods (High-A TB) plays as such every Thursday home game. It¡¯s a barrel of fun. Get tickets to a Hot Rods game ?
The Columbia Fireflies (Single-A KC) play as the Carolina Grits, taking on "an opposing food identity." Their opponent that evening is the Charleston RiverDogs. Might they suit up as the Boiled Peanuts? See the Fireflies in Columbia ?
Finally, we return to the (Huntsville-area) Rocket City Trash Pandas. They¡¯ll wear specialty anime jerseys, featuring a wordmark that reads "Trash Pandas" in Japanese. But that¡¯s not all! It¡¯s also "Take Meow¡¯t to the Ballgame." Bring your (presumably anime loving) cat to the ballgame; hopefully it won¡¯t make a feline for the exits. Get to a game in Rocket City ?