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We rank 'em. You react. That's how the Daily List rolls.8/08/2007 02:05:00 PM Greatest Promotional Days
By John Rolfe, SI.com
These young Tiwns fans looked natty after receiving their free Joe Mauer sideburns.Photo by AP
It's hard to beat the free treats available at your friendly local ballpark. They could be valuable goods (Devil Rays lunchbox, Ralph Kiner Hall of Fame coin, Little Piranha finger puppet) or services (prostate exams were available at Miller Park earlier this season) or a once-in-a-lifetime experience like Cleveland's infamous Nickel Beer Night in 1974 or Chicago’s equally riotous Disco Demolition Night in '79.
You might meet an honest-to- goodness celebrity -- the Eastern League's Altoona Curve presented Butch "Eddie Munster" Patrick last month on Friday the 13th, the same day that the Madison (WI) Mallards had Emmanuel Lewis (aka Webster) on hand for Short People Appreciation Night -- although chances are you'd steer clear of something like Bad Breath Night hosted by the AA Bowie Baysox (July 6). You could have been adjudged the person with the most buzzard-beating breath in the park – hopefully after you'd participated in the between-innings onion-eating competition.
Here are my five favorite sports promotional days that I've either enjoyed first-hand or wish I had:
1. Bat Day at Yankee Stadium. When I was a kid, there was nothing quite like getting a shiny new Horace Clarke model Louisville Slugger I could use in neighborhood pickup games and Little League, although as I came of drinking age, the realization that bats had been sprinkled among 50,000 well-oiled fans was a tad unnerving. The Yankees are still giving said hunks of ash to the first 18,000 fans age 14-and-under.
2. Banner Day at Shea Stadium. You can't beat an opportunity to go on the field. While some fans constructed floats worthy of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in a quest for prizes, a humble white bedsheet bearing the scrawled message CAL KOONCE IS OUR SAVIOR entitled me and my equally gah-gah pals a priceless hike around the entire circumference of the field between games of a doubleheader.
3. Joe Mauer Sideburns Night. Last season, the first 10,000 fans into the Metrodome got synthetic replicas they could stick on their skulls with double-sided tape. This season, the Twins honored their batting champ catcher by giving away bats, bobbleheads and dolls. Not quite the same charm as the ‘burns.
4. Britney Spears Baby Safety Night. The Newark Bears did something righteous for their community last season by giving away a free car seat and dispensing tips on how to keep tots out of harm's way (e.g. don't drive with them on your lap). All fans who dressed like babies or brought baby toys or an actual toddler were admitted free.
5. Salute to the High Five. An event that was long, long overdue, the Frederick Keys of the Carolina League hosted it on July 11. Free hand-clappers were handed to the first 200 extremely fortunate fans who made it through the gate and everyone else thrilled to filmed tributes to sports’ most famous gesture of celebration. Team employees competed in a High Five Staff Showdown while all fans --many of them weeping, no doubt -- got theirs at the Guaranteed High Five table.
Okay. Let's have your favorites. They can be from any time, any sport, whether you were there or not.posted by SI.com | View comments |
Comments:
Other than the classic fitted hat or snow tire day...The Giants should have a " Barry Bonds Syringe Day" to celebrate his newest accomplishment
and I think that everybody should have a "Sal Fasano Appreciation Day" they will pass out moustache’s resembling the dedicated catcher's much like The "Joe Mauer Side Burns Day" because it is without a doubt the best facial hair in the majors.Banner Day at Shea was a great day! I remember as a kid making sure that I was in front of the TV on that day to see the banners. And the fact that the Mets came out afterwards with their own banner - usually something like " Our fans are the best!"
ClassicI always loved seat cushion day as a kid for several reasons. For starters, they made the hard seat a lot more comfortable during the 2+ hour game. When you smashed 2 of them together or against any flat surface, they became instant noise makers. And finally, about a third of them would always end up scattered all over the field at some point in protest of a lousy call or if the home team was getting blown out.How about the Seinfeld episode where Jerry suggests giving away fitted caps"like the players wear"?In the mid 70's the Minnesota Twins had a Halter top day promotion, with Halter tops given to the first 5 or 10 thousand females. And yes, they said "Twins" across the front. Not likely to see that again soon.Anderson Varajeo Hair Day at the QWhat about Jon Voight day?Last year the St. Paul Saints gave away toy boats painted purple and gold for the Love Boat Scandal.Freddy Fender Concert Night at Shea Stadium back during the early '80s when the Mets were wretched. So bad it was good.
Banner Day at Shea during the two games of a doubleheader against the Cubs in 1984 was one of the oddest outings I've ever had there. Signs included: "Joan Rivers Isn't Funny," "Burma Shave" and "Lay off the sauce, Kiner." And there was a fan on the field who dressed like a gorilla.
The Mets lost both games.Nashua Pride of the Can-Am Independent League had a Rich "El Guapo" Garces Bobble Belly Giveaway.Madison Mallards - Summer 03
"Honker Reduction Night"
We gave away a grand prize nose job (local plastic surgeon) to one lucky fan the night the team played the Rochester Honkers (Northwoods League). The girl who won was a knockout and opted for a discounted breast augmentation.
Classic.Halter top day was always a nice touch a red blooded American male could count on every year. Sadly the tradition is no more......I remember when I was a kid and Al Hrabosky was (shudder) not selected to the NL AllStars, the organization offered up "We Hlove Hrabosky Hbanner Hday." Having a superfluous "H" in my own last name, I thought it was all for me.Sadly, Banner Day at Shea died when scheduled double-headers died. The parade always took place between games of an afternoon twinbill. My favorite banner? When the only championship season Mets fans could celebrate was 1969, two fans carried a banner reading, "69... Oh what a feeling!"As a college age guy in the 70's, the all-time best was "halter top day" for the Twins. Anyone gal wearing a halter top was admitted free. The palce was packed, with mostly guys. Yowza!This won't make any headlines, but every Tuesday night home game, single-A Wisconsin Timber Rattlers has "Bang for your Buck Nite". Dollar beers and dollar hotdogs. It makes for a great night at the ball park.WKRP in Cincinnati turkey giveaway
(live turkeys dropped from a helicopter).
"With god as my witness, I thought turkeys could fly"; Les NessmanIn, I think, 2002 the Penguins had Hat Day . . . it was nothing all that special until Jagr scored a hat trick and thousands of yellow hats poured onto the ice.How can you possibly leave out 10 cent beer night in Cleveland during the '70s?After starting 5-0 in 2004 the New York Jets went through a period of winning really ugly. In that spirit at one of the home games late in the season Gang Green gave away ugly "shrek ears" in honor of their ogre like display of ugliness. Obviously not as cool as Halter Top day, but at least thinking outside the boxIn 2001, I was with the Jacksonville (FL) Suns, and we did a "Tonya Harding Mini-Bat Night" where she came and signed black mini-bats. People lined up for two hours to get her autograph on those bats and she signed every one of them.George Parros moustaches!!!disco demolition night... so much fan support that the second half of the doubleheader was canceled...1985 - Orlando Renegades vs Tampa Bay Bandits. The giveaway was...Skoal Bandits Chewing Tobacco. My date took a pack. Can't say I miss her.Earlier this year when Bonds was trying to tie the record in LA the Dodgers had Steroid Awareness Day.Charleston River Dogs of the SAL. They set out to break the all-time attendance record...that is, the record for fewest fans at a game. Since the official attendance is taken after the 5th, 6th or 7th inning...they had all the fans stay outside the ballpark (whose gates were locked) until the attendance of "0" was official...and then they opened the gates to let the fans rush in to grab a seat for the last few innings.last year the cardinals had a seat cushion night on the game that broke and 8 game losing streak. the cardinals won on a walk off error and everyone was throwing their cushions in the air and onto the field. that was pretty coolHow about the Free Funeral Giveaway that the Hagerstown Suns (located in Western, Maryland had. Small piece of the article:
"In one of the most innovative - if not bizarre - marketing efforts by any minor league team in the nation, the Suns teamed up with a local Hagerstown funeral home to provide one lucky winner of an essay contest with a dream funeral in the Funeral Service Give-a-way!
It might be slightly morbid, but it got the attention of the press and the fans.
Newspapers, magazines and television networks across the country gave headline inches and airtime to the small local team for its casket and service giveaway contest."
link: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4183/is_20030829/ai_n10056711Ah, yes. Halter top day at the Twins Met Stadium. Hot, hot, hot. And that was just the temperature. Now add the ladies, and you had a HARD time watching the game. Did the Twins win or lose? What inning is it? Those were the days.Sacramento's AAA team picks a batter from the visiting team, and designates him the "K-Man." Every time he strikes out the fans win food.....The Tacoma Rainiers (AAA affiliate of the Mariners) had a used car raffle. Everyone got a raffle ticket at the gate, and in between innings they drove some hunk of junk out and drew a number of the "lucky" fan.The Lakewood BlueClaws here in Central NJ have "Bark in the Park". It's a chance to bring your dog to the game."Sunday, August 15, was Jello Mold Day at Olympic Stadium"
I really wish I would have stayed in Montreal longer that summer to pick up my very own Montreal Expo Jello mold. But here is someone who did:
http://www.jhu.edu/~jhumag/494web/balltrip.htmlfrom da boy vince
i ask everyone i see for a high five,but they should have an Antonio Alfonseca wieght loss day
didn't Sal Fasano have to shave when he fot traded to the yankeesA minor league baseball team in Arizona had Ted Williams night. They gave away free popsicles. This was of course in reference to Ted Williams cryogenic history.Cincinnati Reds - The grass stained Ryan Freel "Dirty T-Shirt" Day..What about the legendary "Hot Pants Night" at the Oakland Coliseum in the early 70's? Free admission and participation in a between-games on-field fashion show to anyone wearing hot pants. The stadium staff figured a couple hundred women would participate, and was overwhelmed when 6,000 of them took the field (another 5,000 got the free admission but passed on the fashion show).Last year when the Cardinals gave away seats cushions and David Eckstien hit a walk off reach on error to end an eight-game losing streak sending seat cushions flying all over the park like hats at a graduation for one of the most memorable moments of the World Championship SeasonThe Royals recently had a T-shirt give away to honor the George Brett pine tar incident.
And in 2006 Gonzaga had an Adam Morrison 'stache give away. Even Dick Vitale was wearing one at one point. But I think those mustaches were much thicker than Adam's.The Mariners once had Funny Nose Glasses Night. The idea was inspired by Tom Paciorek and had higher attendence than Gaylord Perry's 300th win.
One minor league team had Arthur Andersen night. Free admission to anyone named Arthur Andersen and discounts for anyone who had either as part of their name.
I think the D-Rays had Lawyer Appreciation day.
My all time favorite came from Mike Veeck. He had a No Fans game. There were no fans in the ballpark and the only way to watch the game was from knot holes in the fence.1959: White Sox-Yankees game at Comiskey (Bill Veeck was the owner): to promote a convention of exotic food, the Andy Frain ushers went through the stands with trays of weird stuff, and I ate (hey, I was twelve and I was hungry) chocolate-covered ants and candied grasshoppers. And the White Sox won the AL pennant that season!Expos had a banner day in the 80s. About 83 or 84 the last banner on the field was a bed sheet with the words "Raines Goes Better With Coke". A takoff on both the Coca Cola slogan of the time ("Everything Goes Better With Coke") & the problems that MLB and players were going through.
Anyway, these guys made it all the way from the outfield fence to 2nd base, until one of the security guys figured it our.The St. Paul Saints (minor league baseball team) had "Randy Moss Hood Ornament Night" after he 'moved' a traffic cop with his car in downtown Minneapolis before leaving town.The Jacksonville (FL) Suns AA Baseball team hosts "Used Car Night" every season. Everyone in attendance gets a raffle ticket.. in between innings they draw the winning ticket. The later the inning, the better the car.
If you "win" the car after the first inning, you are lucky if it even starts. Towards the end of the night, they actually give away decent cars!!Recent Posts
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