Pickles (legal and not) conquer the Minors

Plus, bite into the Hoosier State Tenderloins [Ben's Biz Beat]( [By Benjamin Hill]( February 23, 2023 “How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.” Thus begins Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s “Sonnet 43,” one of the best-known English-language poems ever written. Browning’s immortal opening lines can be easily applied to Minor League Baseball, which can be loved in so many ways. This, the 43rd edition of the Ben’s Biz Beat Newsletter, is dedicated to sharing the love.   PICKLES, THE LAW, MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL AND THE INTERSECTION THEREOF [The Trenton Pickle Ordinance] Trenton Thunder mascot Boomer reads up on his city’s pickle laws A few months back, the Trenton Thunder of the MLB Draft League announced that they would celebrate “Pickle Sunday” on July 16.  Why?  Because “[a]ccording to an old New Jersey law, it is illegal to eat pickles in the city of Trenton on Sundays, so we decided to break the law!”  One should never assume, but when I heard about the Thunder’s ostensibly illegal endeavor, I assumed it would be the only pickle law-based promo to take place this season. Of course, I was wrong!  On May 17, the Hartford Yard Goats (Double-A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies) will suit up as the Bouncing Pickles. [Meet the Bouncing Pickles] Why the Bouncing Pickles? In the Yard Goats’ home state of Connecticut, there is a law that says, and I’m paraphrasing here: “A pickle is not a pickle if it doesn’t bounce.”  The Bouncing Pickles, ebulliently buoyant, are clearly in compliance with this particular pickle ordinance. The pickle in question even has a pogo stick, just to drive the point home.  If you are aware of any other pickle law promotions taking place this season, please email me: benjamin.hill@mlb.com   NO PARKING, PLENTY OF PORK: MORE ALTERNATE IDENTITIES On Jan. 1, the Akron RubberDucks announced that they would play a game as [the Sauerkraut Balls]( on Aug. 18. If you thought that was the only time this offseason that the RubberDucks would announce an alternate identity on a federal holiday, then I am sorry to inform you that you thought wrong. On Presidents' Day, Feb. 20, the Double-A Cleveland affiliate announced that they’ll be suiting up as the [Devil Strips]( on July 7. While this seems like it could be another food-based identity -- perhaps a particularly spicy iteration of chicken tenders -- it is something else entirely. Per the team: “A devil strip refers to the grassy area between the street and the sidewalk. The term is believed to be first used in Northeast Ohio to describe the area between streetcars going in opposite directions. The current use of the term was first used in Akron in the late 1920s.”  You really do learn something new every day. It’s an especially great aspect of being alive. For instance, did you know that Nick’s Kitchen, in Huntington, Ind., originated the pork tenderloin sandwich in 1908? This distinction has caused some Indiana political leaders to argue that the Breaded Tenderloin should be named the official state sandwich. (Seriously. [Senate Bill 322]( introduced in the Indiana General Assembly last month, is dedicated to determining just this.)  The Fort Wayne TinCaps aren’t waiting for official legislative approval, however. From Aug. 3-6, the High-A San Diego affiliate will transform into the [Hoosier State Tenderloins](. [Hoosier State Tenderloins] “The Breaded Tenderloin Sandwich has long been a Hoosier tradition," said Michael Limmer, TinCaps vice president of marketing and promotions. “Others may claim it, but Hoosiers know we did it first, and do it best!”  The TinCaps weren’t the first team to unveil a “Tenderloins” alternate identity, however. That honor goes to non-Hoosiers, the Peoria Chiefs, who suited up as such on [three non-consecutive occasions]( last season.   HOPELESSLY OBSCURE MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL TRIVIA Who was the first former Minor League Baseball player to go on to play in the Super Bowl?   SHH ... JOSH JACKSON INTERRUPTS, SILENTLY [Ghosts of the Minors]( This is Josh Jackson, interrupting my standard interruption shtick to tell you about a new way to get Ghosts of the Minors, the segment from [The Show Before the Show podcast]( in which I ask you to identify a real historical Minor League team hiding amidst a fraudulent pair.  Now, all of our friends out there in radioland (and newsletter land!) can tune into Ghosts of the Minors without having to hear a thing. Check out the silent edition, which we launched by [chewing the fat on the Beatrice Milkskimmers]( the udderly first team to be featured on the podcast. [ENJOY GHOSTS OF THE MINORS SILENTLY](   DESIGNATED EATER: A TENDER APPROACH IN MANCHESTER, N.H. [A tender feeling for good chicken]( Puritan Backroom chicken tenders: Original (left) and Coconut Writing about “Tender” team names got me thinking about June 4 of last season, when I went to see the New Hampshire Fisher Cats play as the Chicken Tenders. The impetus for this name change was that the Puritan Backroom restaurant, located in the Fisher Cats’ home city of Manchester, is where chicken tenders were invented.  I wrote an article about [my evening with the Chicken Tenders]( but that article did not include the firsthand observations of my Designated Eater, Michael Harris. He and I were able to procure two of the three types of Puritan Backroom chicken tenders that were available, Original and Coconut. (Buffalo escaped us, as this flavor was only served in the suites and we are men of the people). [Meet Michael Harris] Michael Harris, Maine native and current resident, is a serious ballpark traveler. As of June 4, he had been to 434 ballparks, including all but two current Minor League facilities. (Follow him on Twitter @intheballparks.) He said he never gets chicken tenders at a ballpark because they’re generic, but on this night, they were anything but.  Michael said that the Puritan Backroom Originals were “much better than a normal ballpark chicken tender.” As for the Coconut, he said the flavor was “subtle, but it’s there. It changes the texture of the coating.” His only complaint was that the accompanying duck sauce, a Puritan Backroom specialty, was “weirdly thin.”  “I grew up an hour from [Manchester] and never knew they were invented here,” he continued. “I like that about food culture in Minor League Baseball. You learn so many things you wouldn’t otherwise know.” [Michael Harris eats fried dough] For the record: Michael also enjoyed an order of fried clams, despite them “not being the clammiest of fried clams,” as well as some good old fried dough.  Thank you, Michael, for being a Designated Eater! [Designated Eater]   QUESTIONS OF MINOR CONCERN Thanks again to everyone who wrote to me about scorekeeping at Minor League games, which was the focus of the entirety of last week’s newsletter. Now, it’s time to move on to a new question:  In your hometown or while traveling, have you ever visited any baseball-related historical markers (or museums, or street names, or statues)?  Email your responses to benjamin.hill@mlb.com, and send pictures if you’ve got ‘em!  This question was inspired by the fact that it was Babe Ruth’s birthday earlier this month (Feb. 6), which reminded me that while in Fayetteville in 2019 to see the Woodpeckers, [I visited the site]( of Babe’s first professional home run. (It’s now a Department of Transportation building). [Babe Ruth plaque in Fayetteville ](   HOPELESSLY OBSCURE MINOR LEAGUE TRIVIA ANSWER! Tom Brown was the first former Minor Leaguer to switch to football and then go on to play in the Super Bowl. The first baseman and outfielder made his professional baseball debut in the Major Leagues, as a member of the 1963 Washington Senators. He was sent down after 47 games, playing the remainder of 1963 and part of 1964 with the York White Roses of the Eastern League.  Brown switched to football before the 1964 season was through, signing with the Green Bay Packers. The defensive back was a member of the Packers when they won each of the first two Super Bowls, in 1967 and 1968.   [IF YOU KNOW SOMEONE INTERESTED IN RECEIVING THIS NEWSLETTER, TELL THEM TO SUBSCRIBE HERE](   Contact [Benjamin Hill](mailto:benjamin.hill@mlb.com) [Twitter]( Online]( © 2023 MLB Advanced Media, L.P. MLB trademarks and copyrights are used with permission of Major League Baseball. [Visit MLB.com](. Any other marks used herein are trademarks of their respective owners. Subscription required. Blackout and other restrictions may apply. Please review our [Privacy Policy](. 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