Brian recounts an inning by inning recap of some Minor League promotions in Greensboro.

Minor League Baseball has always relied on ballpark signage and in-game promotions. The signage was obviously for money and the promotions to help encourage fans to come to the Minor League parks. But more and more Minor League baseball teams are moving towards branding opportunities during their in-game, on-field promotions. Gone are the days of the Silly Bat Race, where two young fans put their head on a bat and went around in a circle 10 times and then tried to run a straight line. Or if it does exist, you can bet some company (perhaps some pharmaceutical that makes anti-dizzyness medicine) is sponsoring it.

Wednesday night, I was at the Minor League baseball game between the Greensboro Grasshoppers and the Hickory Crawdads at NewBridge Bank Park in Greensboro. See, it used to be First Horizon Park but last November, the Greensboro Grasshoppers signed a 10-year naming-rights deal with NewBridge Bank, a company headquartered in Greensboro with 40 banking offices in the Piedmont Triad area. This makes it an immediate improvement over the deal with First Horizon, which seemingly had no banks, offices or ATMs anywhere in the Triad.

Any worries I had about not recalling the proper sponsor of the Greensboro Grasshoppers was immediately put to rest, as there was signage everywhere. You spend $2.75 million you get the rights to put up some signs. But there were plenty of other ads spread out through the ballpark. On the outfield wall alone, I counted 31 signs, which is probably incomplete because I couldn’t see all of the right field corner from where I was sitting.

But the signage pales to the promotions. The following is an inning-by-inning recap of the promotions hosted by the Greensboro Grasshoppers Wednesday night. There was nothing special about the mid-week game, which makes me believe the Greensboro Grasshoppers have this many promotions each night.

Top of the first inning – Greensboro Grasshoppers players introduced and ran out to the field underneath a replica of McDonald’s Golden Arches, shaking hands with two little kids decked out in McDonald’s tee-shirts.

Bottom first – Spaz, one of two announcers employed by the Greensboro Grasshoppers to do announcements and on-field or in-stands promotions, did something with a member of the audience that was sponsored by Pizza Hut Scream.

Top second – Two adult fans went on the field for a tricycle race. Harley Davidson sponsored this event.

Bottom second – North Carolina Agriculture sponsored a tractor race that was held on the Greensboro Grasshoppers video board. There was no on-field promotion for this half inning.

Top third – John’s Plumbing sponsored a toilet seat toss between two contestants. If you have never seen this one, it resembles horseshoes, with the fans getting two tosses each and the winner being the closest toilet seat lid toss to the pin.

Bottom third – Spaz and Guilford, the Greensboro Grasshoppers furry-creature mascot, were dancing on top of the duguouts to the annoying sound of the Village People’s “YMCA” while the video board displayed a giant Young Men’s Christian Association logo.

Top fourth – Guilford raced a kid from the stands around the bases in the Grand Prix Mascot dash. Grand Prix is an indoor go-kart facility.

Bottom fourth – Rice Toyota sponsored the Sumo Wrestling competition, where two adult fans don inflatable costumes which make them look like the large wrestlers. I didn’t get the connection at first but finally remembered that Sumo is big in Japan, where they make Toyotas.

Top fifth – Balance Day Spa sponsored a version of Deal, No Deal conducted by Spaz with a fan in the stands.

Bottom fifth – The grounds crew swept the infield while various sponsors got prime-time space on the video board, including Carolina Golf and Got You Floored.

Top sixth – Two fans were placed in giant plastic balls and raced across part of the outfield in a Wrangler-sponsored event. I’m still searching for the connection on this one.

Bottom sixth – Pest Management International sponsored a promotion where a kid with a fly swatter chased an adult dressed in a cockroach costume.

Top seventh – Four adults divided into two teams raced against one another to build a giant burger on the field. Each adult was dressed in a bun costume. One participant for each team laid on the ground as the bottom half of the bun while his teammate raced back and forth to add the ingredients, which were props for a patty, pickles, cheese, bacon and tomato. Once those five ingredients were on, the top half of the bun dived on top to signify the burger was complete. Back Yard Burgers sponsored this event.

Bottom seventh – Two kids raced each other on hop balls in an event sponsored by Blue Cross Blue Shield.

Top eighth – Spaz was in the stand for the Guess the Attendance game. Four totals were displayed on the video board, each accompanied by a food item. One by one the food item and the wrong number were removed to reveal the correct attendance (4,075) and I’m guessing the winning prize. Did not catch who sponsored this one. They should ask for their money back.

Bottom eighth – This was the Re-Mulch of the Triad Mulch Chuck inning. There were four adults divided into two teams with one adult tossing a beanbag with a plastic shovel and the other teammate trying to catch it in a burlap sack.

I have to break from the promotion madness to give an update on the game. Trailing 4-2 entering the bottom of the eighth, the Greensboro Grasshoppers got their leadoff hitter on base. The next batter got hit by a pitch, only to have the home plate umpire call him back to the plate to finish his at-bat. Later, Edwin Rodriguez, the manager for the Greensboro Grasshoppers, told me the ump ruled the player moved his elbow into the pitch. The batter ended up striking out on the play.

The next batter singled, bringing Tom Hickman to the plate. Hickman homered earlier in the game. In a ritual done thousands of times each season by reporters on deadline, I announced in the press box prior to Hickman’s at-bat – wouldn’t it be great if he hit a home run right here – the story would write itself! But this was one time where it actually happened. I received congratulations all around from the Greensboro Grasshoppers staff nearby for calling it before it happened.

I began working on my story and missed the sponsorship item for the top of the ninth inning. Whoops.

Like any Minor League Baseball team, the Greensboro Grasshoppers do whatever they can to increase revenue. While I detailed the key sponsorship moments of the night, there were plenty more happening on a smaller scale. The final batter for the visitors in the ninth was the Waffle House Strikeout Victim of the game. To end the perfect night, he fanned, meaning that Waffle House would give all fans in attendance a coupon to receive a free waffle on their next visit.