This negative image was flushed away over the course of one doubleheader on June 17 as the South Bend Silver Hawks, a Class ‘A’ affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks, celebrated Plumber Appreciation Night at Coveleski Field.

Plumber Appreciation Night at the Cove, as Announced on the Display Leading into the Ballpark

The stadium wide “thank you” to plumbers included a toilet paper giveaway (above and beyond the free tp fans have access to in the ballpark lavatories) and a number of on-field contests that gave fans the chance to become acquainted with the tool of choice for amateur plumbers everywhere – the plunger.

Silver Hawk Mascot, "Swoop," Waves a Plunger in Salute to Plumbers Everywhere

For Marketing Director Amy Hill and her staff, the ode to plumbers is just another promotion in a string of creative gems that are bringing fans out to the Cove.

Earlier in the season, the Silver Hawks generated buzz with memorable themes like “Ugly Sweater Night” (fans wearing ugly sweaters received free admission), “Halfway to Halloween Night” (fans wearing Halloween costumes received free admission), and the recession-themed “Name Your Ticket Price Night” (no costume or sweater necessary, just name your price, man).

And people are still talking about one of last year’s Silver Hawk promotional masterpieces, “Mustache Awareness Night,” an event inspired by pitcher Josh Collmenter’s circa-1970 pushbroom stache’ that garnered an endorsement from the esteemed American Mustache Institute.

“A good promotion is one that is fun and that fans are going to be able to interact with,” Hill explains, which in turn, explains why on any given night fans at the Cove are likely to be found participating in off-the wall stunts like tossing rings at a plunger, dancing atop the dugout in a ridiculous sweater, or wearing a fake mustache.

Swoop Celebrates with the Winners of the "Big Underwear" Race

So, what’s next in South Bend? Having had a Plumber Appreciation night and a Mustache Awareness Night, one can only think that it will be a matter of time before the Silver Hawks combine the two and honor the most famous Mustachioed Plumber of all time: Mario.

Regardless of what Hill and company dream up next, Silver Hawk fans can be sure of one thing: it will be fun.

Swoop Leads the South Bend Diamond Girls in a Toilet Paper Race

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One mislocated fastball. That’s all that stood between a trio of Bowling Green pitchers and a no-hitter on Monday as the Hot Rods opened up a five game homestand with a 6-1 victory over the Greenville Drive.

Newly minted South Atlantic League All-Star Chris Andujar dealt six innings of one-hit, one-run baseball to improve to 7-2 on the year. Andujar’s lone mistake came in the second inning when Greenville’s Kade Keowen deposited a one-out smash over the wall in right.

Offensively, Kyeong Kang and Mike Sheridian did a little yard work of their own for the Hot Rods.

Kang opened the scoring in the bottom of the first with his first homer of the year, a no-doubter of the three-run variety that sailed over the right field wall.  The score would remain 3-0 until the bottom of the third when former #1 draft pick Tim Beckham reached on a one-out walk, stole second, and scored on a Jake Jefferies’ single. Mike Sheridan delivered his team-leading seventh homer in the third with a two-run shot to give the Rods their 6-1 cushion.

The Hot Rods, winners of four straight, remain five games back of the division leading Charleston RiverDogs at 29-28.

GAME NOTES:

• Attendance – 2,925
• Tim Beckham was also voted to the SAL All-Star team. He leads the Hot Rods in BA (.297) and is tied for lead in RBIs (31).
• A label on the back of Tim Beckham’s batting helmet reads: “Dat Dude Shawty” (One of the beauties of Minor League Baseball is that you can actually sit close enough to the players to observe this kind of thing).

SS Tim Beckham and OF Justin Reynolds preparing to lead off the top of the third

Beckham surveys the action from the video board in right-center

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