Ben's new concession items sample platter

And, wait 'til you hear about Tulsa's new ID [Ben's Biz Beat]( [By Benjamin Hill]( April 20, 2023 Usually, when a team name has a number in it, that number references a momentous year in the region’s history. The Las Vegas 51s, the former identity of the team now known as the Aviators, were an anomaly in this regard. Their moniker celebrated nearby Area 51, the top-secret Air Force facility rumored to house a trove of extraterrestrial secrets. This, the 51st edition of the Ben’s Biz Beat Newsletter, contains no such classified information. Please disseminate everything therein as widely as possible, with no redactions whatsoever.   NEW FOOD! 2023 CONCESSION STAND DEBUTS [New concession stand debuts for '23]( In [last week’s newsletter]( I closed with an item pertaining to the Lake County Captains’ revamped Moby Dick Fish Sandwich, noting that the photo the team initially used was from 2012 and not reflective of the new list of ingredients.  Fortunately, I used my immense journalistic clout to obtain a new, updated photo of the Moby Dick. Below, you’ll find Captains director of ticket sales and partnerships Andrew Grover -- who modeled with the original Moby Dick in 2012 -- having a go at the new version. This is what 24 sardines, 16 fish patties, 12 fried clams, 37 pickles, Cheez Whiz and a dash of oyster sauce on a bun looks like: [Lake County's Moby-Dick]( The Moby Dick is one of many items featured in my new [MiLB.com story]( on 2023 concession debuts. But, as always, I have more where that came from. To wit:  The Richmond Flying Squirrels are serving a Big Dill hot dog at The Diamond this season, in which a massive pickle serves as the bun. In doing so, they are carrying on the legacy of the Charleston RiverDogs, who went viral in 2010 with their [Pickle Dog]( [Richmond's big dill]( Great segue alert: Before Richmond was home to the Flying Squirrels, it was home to the Richmond Braves. This Atlanta Triple-A affiliate relocated to Georgia’s Gwinnett County prior to the 2009 season and is now known as the Gwinnett Stripers.  This season, the Stripers have added several items to the menu at their Southern-themed “All the Fixins” stand. Here are two: The Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich (left) and the Bacon Onion Jam Footlong Hot Dog. [North Carolina]( If there’s one ballpark where you’d absolutely expect to find a Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich, it’d be the Nashville Sounds’ First Horizon Park. Your expectations would be fulfilled, as the Sounds have indeed served this cayenne-dredged local specialty since the ballpark opened in 2015.  But, in 2023, there’s a twist: From July 7-9, the Sounds will take the field as [the Hot Chickens](. [Nashville Hot Chickens uni and concessions]( The hot chicken in the above photo is from [Waldo’s Chicken and Beer](. If you’re now wondering “Where’s Waldo’s?”, the Sounds Hot Chicken Passport should help you find it. (When I [visited the Sounds in 2015]( my Designated Eaters told me that [Prince’s]( is the “O.G. of Nashville Hot Chicken.” Tread lightly.) [Nashville's Hot Chicken Passport]( Perhaps you’d like fries with -- or more accurately, under -- your spicy fowl? Then please know that the Rocket City Trash Pandas have you covered. [Hot Chicken Fries]( If you’re intimidated by hot chicken but still looking for some serious spice, then be informed that Flamin’ Hot Cheetos remain a popular flavor enhancer at Minor League ballparks. Last year I documented a [Flamin’ Hot Cheetos Hot Dog]( in San Antonio and a [Flamin’ Hot Brat]( in Hartford.  The Winston-Salem Dash get in on the act this season with the first (to my knowledge) Flamin’ Hot Cheetos Corn Dog. [Winston-Salem Flamin' Hot Cheetos Dog] If it’s international flair that you’re looking for, then travel with me to Las Vegas Ballpark. The Aviators are continuing their gourmet frankfurter legacy with the Banh Mi Dog, their take on the popular Vietnamese sandwich. [Las Vegas' Banh Mi Dog] For additional adventures in Banh Mi-inclusive wiener-centric globe-trotting, consider the [Akron RubberDucks’ “Around the World Dog]( While the photo of this item leaves quite a bit to be desired, the dish itself does not. It includes “three unique jumbo overtopped hot dogs in one order,” with this triumvirate consisting of the Buffalo Chicken Mac Dog, the Kimchi Dog and, of course, the Banh Mi Dog. [Akron's Around the World Dog] This opening section of the newsletter has, metaphorically, made it past the seventh inning and I am now cut off. Since I didn’t get around to covering dessert or alcohol, I’ll close with something that features both.  The Sweet and Boozy, featuring alcohol-infused ice cream, is now available [in 18 Minor League ballparks](.  [Sweet and Boozy]( Have you tried any of the above items? Or, more broadly, have you tried any Minor League concession items this season that were new to you? I now deputize you as a Designated Eater: send your food pictures and commentary to benjamin.hill@mlb.com.  [FOR MORE MiLB FOOD, READ PART ONE OF MY 2023 CONCESSIONS ROUNDUP HERE](   HOPELESSLY OBSCURE MINOR LEAGUE TRIVIA QUESTION What was the last Minor League Baseball team that DIDN’T sell alcohol at the ballpark?   JOSH JACKSON INTERRUPTS [Josh Jackson Interrupts ]( Ben was really building to something there, but this is Josh Jackson, hammering all of you out there in newsletter land with some concrete facts. I host Ghosts of the Minors, the segment from [The Show Before the Show podcast]( in which I insist you identify a historical Minor League team hiding amidst two phonies.  Last week, we raised Cain with the Des Moines Demons. This week, I ask you which of the following teams tried to compound its victories in the Minors of yore: - The Fort Collins-Loveland Love Birds - The Champaign-Urbana Lincoln Lawyers - The Bisbee-Douglas Copper Kings [For the answer, tune into the next Ghosts of the Minors!](   STEAMED BIVALVES SET TO DEBUT IN PORTLAND [Meet the Maine Clambakes]( Josh Jackson may be done interrupting, but I can still feel him skulking around as I write this. For this item comes from his home state of Maine, where the people are reticent and the air is redolent… with steamed clams!  The Portland Sea Dogs will [suit up as such]( on Aug. 25, celebrating what the team refers to as an “old-fashioned New England tradition inherited from the Native Americans. The traditional Maine Clambake includes lobster, clams, corn on the cob, potatoes, and blueberry cake.”  The Sea Dogs now have four regional food-based alternate identities, as Steamed Clams joins Whoopie Pies, Red Snappers and Bean Suppahs in the team’s culinary pantheon. Josh might have trouble interrupting in the future, on account of his mouth being full.   DRILLERS PAY HOMAGE TO THAT TULSA SOUND [Meet the TulsaSound]( The Nashville Sounds’ name is an homage to the distinct country music that has been produced in the Hit City. Tulsa’s sound is perhaps not as well known; for the uninitiated, it’s a “mix of blues, blues rock, country, rock & roll and swamp pop” whose best-known practitioner is Leon Russell.  The Tulsa Drillers are paying tribute to their city’s aural escapades from June 22-25, during which they’ll [play as the TulsaSound](. The sharp-looking TulsaSound logo features a grizzled, gray-bearded, long-haired, top-hatted Leon Russell-esque baseball and, let me tell you, I’ve never typed a sentence quite like that before.  Tulsa’s a sneaky good city when it comes to music. If you [visit the Drillers’ home of ONEOK Field]( make sure to check out the Woody Guthrie Center and, separately, the Bob Dylan Center.   HOPELESSLY OBSCURE MINOR LEAGUE TRIVIA ANSWER! The last Minor League team that didn’t sell alcohol at the ballpark was the Oneonta Tigers, who played (under various names) in the New York-Penn League from 1966-2009. The Tigers were owned by Sam Nader, who refused to sell booze at the Tigers’ home of Damaschke Field.  “I drink beer, hell yes, but I don’t sell it,” Nader [told the New York Post in 2001](. “I’ve been to ballgames my whole life and invariably, it is my misfortune to sit by some guy who had a grog full.”   [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](. You ({EMAIL}) received this message because you registered to receive commercial email messages or purchased a ticket from [MiLB.com](. 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