93 ‘til Infinity
, the debut album by Oakland-based hip-hop group Souls of Mischief, is, like this newsletter, justly beloved and yet still underrated. Welcome to the 93rd edition of the Ben’s Biz Beat. There’s a long way to go before we reach infinity; ‘til then we’ll talk about Minor League Baseball. |
LEGENDS OF THE UNDERGROUND: BOWLING GREEN REVEALS CAVEMEN IDENTITY
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With their new alternate identity, the Bowling Green Hot Rods have once again eschewed the surface level.
On multiple occasions during the 2024 season, the Hot Rods -- High-A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays -- will take the field as the Cavemen. While the primary logo depicts a particularly furry rendering of our species’ earliest iteration, the team’s primary focus is on caves rather than men.
Bowling Green, Kentucky, is situated amid -- or, rather, on top of -- a vast subterranean ecosystem. Mammoth Cave, the world’s largest system of caves, is located some 20 miles northeast of the city. The Lost River Cave, which offers underground boat tours (no need to bring an umbrella), is located in Bowling Green proper.
Hot Rods general manager Kyle Wolz said that the Cavemen identity is a way to “pay tribute to the natural wonders that are in Kentucky” while also serving as a “What Could Have Been?” promotion for the team. When Bowling Green held a Name the Team contest prior to their 2008 season, Cave Shrimp was one of the finalists.
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This identity -- featuring a bespectacled shrimp -- has since been utilized as a “What could have been?” promo. Another alternate mark, the Sinkholes,
paid tribute to that time in 2014 when a sinkhole opened up underneath Bowling Green’s Corvette Museum and mercilessly swallowed up a fleet of classic cars. |
“We work with a designer, Brandon Lamarche of 3-2 Designs, and he does a fabulous job with all of our brands,” said Wolz. “We gave him some of our inspiration. … We wanted to do a prehistoric caveman and we didn’t want to copy the trends of nowadays when you see it on TV commercials and so forth. |
“We wanted it to be a little unique, holding -- and you can look at this either way -- a stalagmite or stalactite bat,” he continued. “The colors on it, no significant tie-in, but we really wanted something that popped. And so we thought more of a neon, even though you don’t really see much of that in the cave system.”
Wolz, like most non-geologists, admitted to regularly confusing stalagmites and stalactites. The jerseys, provided they are not worn upside down, feature stalagmites: rock formations that rise from the ground. Unless you look at them the other way, in which case they feature stalactites: rock formations that hang from above. It's a moot point, really, as caves are pitch black. Cave shrimp are blind, for there is nothing to see. It's all in their mind, and yours.
The Hot Rods, still in the process of formalizing their 2024 promo schedule, will play as the Cavemen on at least two home dates this season.
“We’re working with both of the caves around here, Mammoth Cave and especially Lost River Cave,” said Wolz. “If you saw our promo video, we actually filmed that in Lost River Cave. We have a great partnership with them.”
Cave Shrimp, Sinkholes and now Cavemen. Wolz said that the team’s dedication to below-ground phenomenon is in part inspired by Bowling Green Ballpark, the team’s home since that inaugural 2008 campaign. The facility’s locker rooms are located beyond the outfield concourse, in the interest of not having them swallowed up into an abyssal void.
“According to legend,” said Wolz, prefacing a story that is less than two decades old, “the developers didn’t want to dig too deep because they feared we were built on a cave system. Your traditional ballparks where you come out of the clubhouse and walk right into the dugout, that doesn’t happen here. Our clubhouses are located in centerfield. [Players] come through the centerfield gate.”
So, are there sinkholes beneath Bowling Green Ballpark. Do Cavemen, or Cave Shrimp, lurk below?
“I’m not really sure,” said Wolz. “There have been conversations about that. I think more so it’s just the fear of, ‘If we dig too deep, what are we going to get into?’”
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This is Josh Jackson, demanding that Ben stop kitten around for a moment. You know me as host of Ghost of the Minors, the segment on The Show Before the Show podcast that challenges you to spot the real historical Minor League Baseball team or player hidden among two fakes.
Last time, we took on as much as we could handle with Joseph Morjoseph. This week, I ask you which of these teams sought to field generational talent in the Minors of yesteryear:
A. The Kilgore Boomers
B. The Dresden Millennials
C. Joseph Morjoseph
For the answer, check out the next Ghosts of the Minors on The Show Before the Show!
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THIS, THAT AND THE OTHER: MILB NEWS YOU MAY HAVE MISSED
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When it comes to this newsletter, I always have too much to write about. So much so, that every week there are items I fail to include due to space and time considerations. Consider this my attempt, however truncated and belated, to get you up to speed on…
Alternate identities, appetizing and otherwise
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The Biloxi Shuckers have announced their first-ever alternate identity, the King Cakes. It’s a celebration of a celebration: Biloxi is the home of Mardi Gras in the state of Mississippi, and king cakes are a staple of carnival season. The logos were designed by Brandiose, who also designed the logos for the now-departed but never forgotten New Orleans Baby Cakes.
READ MY MILB.COM ARTICLE ABOUT THE BILOXI KING CAKES HERE
Speaking of the Shuckers, the team is in the process of adding a beach area to their home of MGM Park.
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Staying in Double-A, the Akron RubberDucks have announced a pair of food-related alternate identities, adding to a buffet that already includes Sauerkraut Balls and Jojos. On June 21, the team will pay tribute to Barberton Fried Chicken and Hot Rice,
a dish popularized at a Serbian restaurant that opened in the Northeast Ohio town of Barberton in 1933. |
On July 19, meanwhile, the RubberDucks are suiting up as the White French. This is an homage to a “French salad dressing unique to Akron,” which has a “smooth creamy texture” and “white hue.” No word yet on whether the anthropomorphic dressing in question is named White Hugh. |
Staying in the Eastern League -- and on the topic of white hues -- the Reading Fightin Phils are honoring the local breakfast staple that is Cream Chipped Beef on toast. Those in the know also know this dish by its mildly profane acronym, S.O.S. |
Eastern League, I can’t quit you yet. The Binghamton Rumble Ponies have unveiled two alternate identities. Grumble Pugs appears to be the first such promotion to have been inspired by a literate dog. |
The explanation for Creatures, meanwhile, is explained quite succinctly in the above image. No word yet on whether William Shatner, who starred in “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet,” will make an appearance. |
OK, this isn’t an alternate identity but it’s still pretty cool. The Hudson Valley Renegades are hosting a Bhutan Baseball promo in August, wearing the jerseys seen above. It all came about thanks to a viral photo. My colleague, global baseball impresario Michael Clair, has more.
READ ABOUT THE HUDSON VALLEY RENEGADES BHUTAN BASEBALL NIGHT HERE
While you’re at it, check out the first edition of Clair’s new International Beat newsletter HERE. Then, subscribe HERE.
Finally, it’s cold outside. My colleague Matt Monaghan wrote a story on “the coldest winter league you never hear of” and trust me when I say you’ll want to check it out. Like all the best stories, it’s harrowing and absurd all at once.
READ ABOUT THE HERSCHEL ISLAND BASEBALL LEAGUE HERE
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THANKS FOR GETTING IN TOUCH |
In last week’s newsletter, I asked you, the reader, to “email me and, quite simply, tell me a little bit about yourself and the specifics of your Minor League fandom.” The number of responses I received was, in a word, copious. Next week I’ll start highlighting these responses via a recurring “Reader of the Week” section. Get in touch if you’d like to possibly be included:
benjamin.hill@mlb.com.
Thank you for reading, and please remember to celebrate National Gumdrop Day responsibly.
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