Somehow I knew that the Stockton Ports’ homage to asparagus wouldn’t start a trend of minor league baseball teams wearing jerseys and paying tribute to healthy foods. And indeed, the healthy streak is over at one. Leave it to the team that has an alternate hat depicting a strip of bacon to get us all back to sanity and decadence, as the Pigs are renaming themselves after a Philadelphia favorite for a night.
You get this: A “Salute to Philadelphia” promotion in which the Triple-A Phillies affiliate will change its name to the “Cheesesteaks.” Finally, the northeast has it’s own version of “Fresno Tacos.” It happens on June 10.
OFFICIAL RELEASE: We're changing our name to the Lehigh Valley Cheesesteaks on June 10th! https://t.co/MXZbIU2MMs pic.twitter.com/ceV5HJHYeh
— Lehigh Valley IronPigs (@IronPigs) March 22, 2016
Here’s the most incredible thing about this: The I. Pigs took attention to detail to a new level as they have hats and shirts to denote “Team Wit” and “Team Witout” (as in onions, for the uninitiated.)
Brotherly Love. #RaisingTheSteaks #TeamWit #TeamWitout pic.twitter.com/Vu0eTUCiX9
— Lehigh Valley IronPigs (@IronPigs) March 22, 2016
Pick a side II https://t.co/JyZca7Qg0j #TeamWit #TeamWitout #RaiseTheSteaks pic.twitter.com/tPNkvoRPHZ
— Lehigh Valley IronPigs (@IronPigs) March 22, 2016
What side am I on? I’m not telling. They’re both pretty good. And the fact that the Pigs are allowing you to make that choice shows nuance and care. Great job, LVIPs!
And because I know you’re asking … yes, you can buy these hats and shirts. And if you pray at the altar of cheesesteak, then you must buy these hats and shirts.
Photo courtesy Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs