The "Spiedie"st Mascot Race in the Minors
Without a doubt, the most well-known and beloved food delicacy that Binghamton has to offer is the "spiedie" -- tender meat cubes that are marinated for days in a special sauce and then grilled. Even writing about them makes me hungry.
Naturally, the Binghamton Mets serve this regional specialty at their concession stands, but they've taken things a step further than that. Introducing the Spiedie Mascot Race:
Eric Long, the B-Mets director of video production, reports:
"The race is sponsored by a local company that produces the marinade and features a giant spiedie sandwich, a marinade bottle, and a chef character who is part of the company's logo. This year Marinade has yet to win a race, much to the chagrin of many of our fans. It's by far our most popular on-field promo with the fans, players, and even the umpires. Last homestand the ump crew wanted to intervene to help the Marinade win his first race. A few weeks ago a Connecticut relief pitcher ran as Sandwich.
Additionally, the B-Mets have become adept at incorporating stand-alone theme night promotions into the nightly race. As the following photos illustrate, a veritable who's who of pop-culture powerhouses have joined in on the action.
Not even the Wicked Witch or the Cowardly Lion can contain Sandwich:
Here, the racing triumvirate rallies around Indiana Jones, a bullwhip, and a boulder:
Clearly, Iron Man was hostile to the entire idea of a mascot race:
Finally, I have to point out that this is not the first time that Spiedies have been mentioned on this fine blog. Long-time readers will recall this post, in which Tri-City ValleyCats assistant GM Vic Christopher talked about one of his club's popular new additions:
"Spiedie the Chicken" was a new mascot that was an instant hit at the ballpark. As a tie-in to one of the ValleyCats concession items, Lupos Chicken Spiedies Sandwiches, this character is a bright yellow, six foot chicken that speeds around the warning track on a classic Vespa scooter, tossing Chicken Spiedies Sandwiches into the crowd."
As always, please get in touch should you have info on mascot races, regional delicacies, or anything at all.
milbbusiness@yahoo.com
benjamin.hill@mlb.com
Naturally, the Binghamton Mets serve this regional specialty at their concession stands, but they've taken things a step further than that. Introducing the Spiedie Mascot Race:
Eric Long, the B-Mets director of video production, reports:
"The race is sponsored by a local company that produces the marinade and features a giant spiedie sandwich, a marinade bottle, and a chef character who is part of the company's logo. This year Marinade has yet to win a race, much to the chagrin of many of our fans. It's by far our most popular on-field promo with the fans, players, and even the umpires. Last homestand the ump crew wanted to intervene to help the Marinade win his first race. A few weeks ago a Connecticut relief pitcher ran as Sandwich.
Additionally, the B-Mets have become adept at incorporating stand-alone theme night promotions into the nightly race. As the following photos illustrate, a veritable who's who of pop-culture powerhouses have joined in on the action.
Not even the Wicked Witch or the Cowardly Lion can contain Sandwich:
Here, the racing triumvirate rallies around Indiana Jones, a bullwhip, and a boulder:
Clearly, Iron Man was hostile to the entire idea of a mascot race:
If anyone wants to provide me with a caption for this somewhat unsettling photo, I'd greatly appreciate it:
Finally, I have to point out that this is not the first time that Spiedies have been mentioned on this fine blog. Long-time readers will recall this post, in which Tri-City ValleyCats assistant GM Vic Christopher talked about one of his club's popular new additions:"Spiedie the Chicken" was a new mascot that was an instant hit at the ballpark. As a tie-in to one of the ValleyCats concession items, Lupos Chicken Spiedies Sandwiches, this character is a bright yellow, six foot chicken that speeds around the warning track on a classic Vespa scooter, tossing Chicken Spiedies Sandwiches into the crowd."
As always, please get in touch should you have info on mascot races, regional delicacies, or anything at all.
milbbusiness@yahoo.com
benjamin.hill@mlb.com
Leave a comment