MLB.com | Mark Feinsand: While pitchers and catchers are only a few weeks away from reporting for spring training, a number of free agents are available at this time. MLB.com asked executives where they anticipated some of the big players may end up, and the Yankees were among the teams named. According to one executive, the Yankees may still pursue Cody Bellinger, while another believes the team has something else in the works.
New York Post | Greg Joyce: Austin Wells, catcher, was among the Yankees’ late-season young player callups, albeit he was not the most prominent. Wells spent a significant amount of time behind the plate, and while that has always been the most questioned aspect of his game, he showed some growth last year. Now the question is whether he can manage a larger burden back there. While Jose Trevino will be returning and likely to see a lot of time at catcher next season, Wells has an opportunity to take the position by the horns.
NJ.com – Max Goodman: In recent days, the Yankees have been linked to pitchers Phil Maton and Ryan Brasier as they attempt to bolster their bullpen for 2024. Here’s what those two could bring to the table if the Yankees pursue those alternatives.
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The tastiest alternative identity in every farm system
Over the last decade, Minor League Baseball teams around the country have made it a practice to temporarily change their names to honor a regionally popular dish. When viewed as a whole, this collection of food-based identities creates a smorgasbord that is too rich and wonderful for a single meal, but it is surely worthy of praise.
Here are some of the most appealing alternate identities from each Major League club’s farm system. Get some napkins and dig in.
AL EAST Blue Jays: Manchester Chicken Tenders (Double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats).
Did you know? The chicken tender originated in Manchester, New Hampshire, in the Puritan Backroom cafe. The New Hampshire Fisher Cats made their Manchester Chicken Tenders debut in 2022, after a fan vote to decide which variety of chicken tender should be portrayed on the uniforms. “Classic” was the winner, defeating Buffalo and Coconut.
Orioles: Lumpia (Triple-A Norfolk Tides).
Norfolk, Virginia, has a sizable Filipino population, with many of them settling there after serving in the military. This spurred the Tides to debut Minor League Baseball’s first Filipino-themed alternate identity, the Lumpia. Lumpia, a spring roll-style snack, is a Filipino culinary staple.
Rays’ Kimchi (Double-A Montgomery Biscuits)
The Montgomery Biscuits represent food every time they hit the field, but that doesn’t mean they can’t mix things up occasionally. Their Kimchi identity, introduced in 2021, is an important part of their yearly Korean heritage theme night.
Red Sox: Maine Bean Suppahs (Double-A Portland Sea Dogs).
The Sea Dogs are big players in the alternate food identity game, with Red Snappers, Clambakes, Whoopie Pies, and, yes, Bean Suppahs. This name, spelled like a Mainer would say it, honors communal Saturday night dinners of baked beans, red snapper hot dogs, and brown bread.
Yankees: Cider Donuts (High-A Hudson Valley Renegades).
Baseball players are typically associated with summer, but the Renegades’ Hudson Valley Cider Donuts identity for the 2023 season is decidedly fall. The logo set includes Dusty, a beloved yet fearsome mascot who survives and thrives despite the fact that someone bit into him.
AL CENTRAL – Sauerkraut Balls (Double-A Akron RubberDucks)
Sauerkraut balls are a Northeast Ohio specialty, often eaten on New Year’s Day. The RubberDucks revealed their Sauerkraut Balls identities on January 1, 2023, with a deep-fried pork and sauerkraut combo leaping jubilantly into marinara sauce.
Royals: Runzas (Triple-A Omaha Storm Chasers).
Runzas are a simple and tasty dish made of meat, cabbage, and onions wrapped into a bun. They are popular in Nebraska, thus the Storm Chasers debuted a Runzas-themed design in 2018. Since then, it has been an annual ritual.
Tigers’ Pepperoni Balls (Double-A Erie SeaWolves)
Akron is not the only Double-A Eastern League city with an AL Central parent club that will honor a spherical deep-fried regional delicacy in 2023. The SeaWolves’ nickname, Pepperoni Balls, refers to an Erie favorite made of pizza crust, cheese, and, of course, pepperoni.
Twins: Grouper (Single-A Fort Myers Mighty Mussels)
For one night in 2018, Fort Myers’ Miracle team played as the Groupers. This was a celebration of what they said was Southwest Florida’s favorite fish. The logo depicts a grouper on a bun, topped with lettuce and tomato. Call it a GLT.
White Sox: Q’s (single-A Kannapolis Cannon Ballers).
Last May, the city of Kannapolis celebrated its annual “Jiggy with the Piggy” BBQ festival, and the Cannon Ballers made their debut as the Q’s. The Q is not only shorthand for BBQ, but it also resembles a pig’s tail.
AL WEST Angels: California Burritos (Single-A Inland Empire 66ers).
Everyone knows what a burrito is, but the San Bernardino-based ’66ers have dressed as California Burritos. These, unlike burritos from other, weaker states, frequently feature french fries.
Astros’ Honey Butter Chicken Biscuits (Double-A Corpus Christi Hooks)
The Corpus Christi Hooks play at Whataburger Field, and in 2021, they collaborated with their naming rights partner to design a Honey Butter Chicken Biscuits brand. Never before had a popular fast food breakfast sandwich been featured on a professional baseball diamond.
Athletics: Olive Burgers (High-A Lansing Lugnuts).
Olive Burgers, a beef patty topped with a mayonnaise and chopped olive mixture, are a Central Michigan classic. The Lugnuts paid honor for the first time in 2023, with competitive eater Joey Chestnut appearing to the ballpark as a special guest. Inevitably, Chestnut set a new world record for devouring olive burgers.
Mariners: Nuts (Single-A Modesto Nuts).
No Seattle teams have launched a food-based second identity, but that’s okay. The Modesto Nuts, veterans of the California League, are edible on a daily basis. The team’s name refers to one of the area’s main agricultural exports.
Rangers’ Donuts (Triple-A Round Rock Express)
Round Rock, Texas, just north of Austin, is home to a nearly 100-year-old donut shop called Round Rock Donuts, which is self-explanatory. The Express dressed up as Round Rock Donuts for the first time in 2023, and it was a lot of fun.
NL East: Pimento Cheese (Single-A Augusta GreenJackets)
The Augusta GreenJackets are called after the green jackets worn by Masters Tournament champions, and their hallmark concession item is the pimento cheese sandwich. It only makes sense that Augusta’s first food-related brand was Pimento Cheese, which debuted in 2019.
Marlins’ Crabzilla (Double-A Pensacola Blue Wahoos)
“The worst uniforms in sports history” isn’t often a selling factor, but that’s how the Blue Wahoos promoted their 2021 Crabzilla identity. The orange and black duds featured a crab sulkily looking out from the back of the pants, all in honor to the now-discontinued Crabzilla Sandwich. This massive combination had soft-shell crab, pork belly, and crab macaroni and cheese.
Mets: Salt potatoes (Triple-A Syracuse Mets).
When you cook little potatoes in salt, you get salt potatoes. This simple yet exquisite side dish is a Syracuse specialty, and the Mets (then known as the Chiefs) paid their first tribute in 2017. Since then, it has been an annual ritual.
Nationals: Plates (Triple-A Rochester Red Wings).
The Red Wings’ Plates identity is a play on Garbage Plates, a customized local dish consisting of meat, starch, and sauce. The Rochester Plates compete against its rival Syracuse Salt Potatoes in an annual “Duel of the Dishes” series, with the winner taking home the prized Golden Fork trophy.
Phillies’ Hoagies (Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs)
You might call them subs or grinders, but in Philadelphia, the only acceptable phrase is hoagies. In 2023, the Lehigh Valley IronPigs debuted their Hoagies, which combine pork, cheese, and vegetables on a long roll.
NL Central Brewers: Brats (High-A Wisconsin Timber Rattlers).
If, like many others, you’ve always wanted to see suspenders and lederhosen on baseball players, the Wisconsin Brats are your new favorite team. The Timber Rattlers use this unique style as part of an annual celebration of German ancestry, sausage, and their intersection.
Cards: Cashew Chickens (Double-A Springfield Cardinals).
David Leong, a chef from Springfield, Missouri, devised a dish of fried chicken, roasted cashews, and chopped green onions about sixty years ago. Cashew Chicken has long been a local favorite, and in 2023, Springfield’s baseball team paid tribute to this Chinese-American staple.
Cubs: Still waiting.
Our crack team of experts was unable to find a food-themed identity that originated within the Chicago Cubs’ farm system. Our suggestion is that the Myrtle Beach Pelicans play as the Bog Balls, a reference to a South Carolina dish made of chicken, rice, and sausage rolled into a ball and fried.
Pirates: Pizza (Double A Altoona Curve)
Altoona-style pizza, an infamous product of the Altoona Hotel, is topped with American cheese and served in squares. In 2023, the Curve went all-in on honoring this much-derided local staple, dressing up as the Pizza for six consecutive games in August.
Reds’ Derby City Mint Juleps (Triple-A Louisville Bats)
Louisville is famed for bourbon and horse racing, and the Bats’ Derby City Mint Juleps combine the two. This lively identity debuts in 2019, celebrating the official drink of the Kentucky Derby. The outfits are two shades of mint, and the drink itself has a horseshoe as a nose.
NL West D-backs: Calf Fries (Double-A Amarillo Sod Poodles).
Calf fries, sometimes known as Rocky Mountain oysters in other places, are a fried delicacy. (If you’re not sure what they are, ask a local). The Sod Poodles dressed up as the Calf Fries seven times in 2023, and the delicacy was served at the concession stands. It is an acquired taste.
Dodgers: Pepinillos Picantes del Norte. (High-A Great Lakes Loons).
The Loons participate in Minor League Baseball’s Copa de la Diversión program, which celebrates Hispanic communities. Pepper games are permitted when they compete as the Pepinillos Picantes del Norte, a tribute to the region’s agricultural laborers.
Giants: Los Churros (Single-A San Jose Giants
Hippolito “Super Churros Man” Cerda has been selling his secret recipe churros at San Jose Giants games for decades. The team’s Churros identity, which is also part of Minor League Baseball’s Copa de la Diversión program, pays tribute to Cerda as well as the desserts itself.
Padres: Hoosier State Tenderloins (High-A Fort Wayne TinCaps) Pork tenderloin sandwiches, popular in the Midwest, developed in the Fort Wayne area. The TinCaps have launched a campaign to become Indiana’s official sandwich, which culminated in the introduction of their Hoosier State Tenderloins brand in August.
Rockies: Green Chile Cheeseburgers (Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes).
Green chiles are widely used in New Mexico, being incorporated into a variety of foods. In 2017, the Isotopes introduced their Green Chile Cheeseburgers identity, which pays homage to a popular bar and restaurant in Albuquerque.
