This week in Minor League Baseball promotions: It's Christmas in July
Lake County Captains celebrate Christmas in July
There are three certainties in life: death, taxes and most important, Minor League promotions. MiLB.com's Ben Hill has the inside scoop on the last of those certainties, and he'll be sharing a taste of them each and every week. Check out a unique upcoming promo below and read his full recap of the week's best promotions right here. You can follow Ben on Twitter @Bensbiz.
Out-of-season celebrations are in-season at a ballpark near you, as Minor League teams nationwide celebrate "Christmas in July." But the Lake County Captains are the only team to celebrate "A Christmas Story in July."
On Sunday, the Captains (Class A affiliate of the Cleveland Indians) are giving away "A Captains Story" bobblehead featuring their mascot, Skipper, decked out in the resplendent white cowboy outfit worn by Ralphie in the film. Skipper, bespectacled and smirking, is holding a bat instead of a BB gun because, otherwise, he might shoot his eye out:
Sunday's giveaway is the latest in a long line of "Captains Story" bobbleheads, which are the result of a partnership between the team and "A Christmas Story House and Museum." Located in the Cleveland neighborhood of Tremont, this is the very house in which Ralphie Parker and his family lived (and, yes, a leg lamp can be seen gleaming from the living room window).
When it comes to previous "A Captains Story" bobbleheads, highlights abound. 2011's iteration depicts Skipper licking a foul pole, an action he presumably undertook after having been issued a triple-dog dare:
This was followed two years later by "Puffy Coat Skipper," an homage to little Randy Parker's somewhat overbearing winter wear:
But it'd be hard to top what the Captains produced in 2010: A "bobble-leg" modeled after "the indescribably beautiful" bobble-lamp so beloved by Ralphie's father:
In more ways than one, this was a real stocking-stuffer.