Who’s on first?
Long awkward pause.
OK. I looked it up — Nellie Rodriguez or Joe Sever.
Let’s admit it, unless you are a real diehard baseball fan, who is actually on the field for the RubberDucks (full disclosure — I called them the Aeros not once but three times at a recent media day) can be secondary to the antics on the concourse.
And judging by this year’s star-studded lineup from an appearance by Christopher McDonald aka Shooter McGavin in Happy Gilmore to midget wrestling to a Willie “Mays” Hayes Bobble Legs Major League giveaway — it is shaping up to be a zany summer at ol’ Canal Park.
As for the actual players — like hard-to-pronounce second basemen prospect Yhoxian Medina — that lineup ain’t too shabby either.
The proverbial sound of summer, “Play ball!” will echo through Canal Park on Thursday night to start the team’s 2016 campaign that includes the city’s first swing at hosting the minor league’s All-Star Game.
The home-opening fun starts out in the street when the team hosts a free festival outside of the ballpark that will include games, inflatables, the unveiling of the team’s new female mascot Rubberta and activities for kids of all ages. After the game will be the first of 17 fireworks nights.
Some changes inside the ballpark include a new section of Homerville Seats just below the popular Tiki Terrace bar.
Tickets for the 11 unobstructed-view seats down the firs- base line are $25 each and include two 16-ounce beers or two 24-ounce sodas. The seats swivel — like those in the neighboring Duck Row area — so it is easy to chat with your neighbor or share one of the park’s new extreme-menu items like the Meat Your Maker Quesadilla.
There is also a new grill to serve hungry fans at the Nice 2 Meat U Grill along the first-base concourse.
The biggest culinary change is a relaunch of the Game Grill + Bar.
Food manager Brian Manning said the grill will feature a so-called chef’s table in addition to its standard menu for those fans looking for an all-you-can-eat option. The cost is $18.99 for adults and $12.99 for kids 12 or younger and will include a salad table, an appetizer section, a hot food’s area including a carved meat and a dessert table.
Manning said the plan is to vary the menu items — including offering some breakfast items on early game days — throughout the year.
The menu at the grill is a bit more ambitious with its own yummy extreme menu item — the Squealer that is a foot-long hotdog stuffed with pulled pork and cheddar cheese, wrapped in bacon and deep fried.
But along the concourse, Manning said, all the traditional ballpark fare is back again this season and hotdogs are still $2 as is the soda.
Manning said the goal again this year is to make a trip to the ballgame affordable for families.
Adam Liberman, team spokesman, said this bargain-mentality extends to the ticket office where general-admission tickets are $5 in advance or $7 on game day.
Liberman said they also always looking for ways to keep fans entertained between innings as that is the one thing they can control as the lineup is ever shifting with players constantly moving around the minors or getting the coveted call up to the majors.
This creative task is left to Christina Urycki, the team’s promotional coordinator, who said “we change it up every year to keep it fresh for our fans.”
One change this year will be bingo games every Wednesday when the team has a home game.
They tested out bingo games last year, she said, and the fans loved it, so they have expanded it to include more games this summer.
“We definitely listen to our fans,” she said.
The task of coming up with new ideas is shared among the entire staff.
Urycki said brainstorming sessions are held weekly where ideas are tossed around like green hotdog night.
For an idea to be a success, she said, it has to pass the “Mom Test” as the ball club has found over the years that Mom has more say in what the family does in its spare time.
“We always bring back the favorites [like OSU night],” she said.
A highlight this summer will be the team hosting for the first time the Eastern League All-Star Game on July 13 and the Home Run Derby the night before.
“We are excited to see some new faces in the ballpark.”
Craig Webb, who puts ketchup on half of his ball park hotdog and mustard on the other half, can be reached at cwebb@thebeaconjournal.com or 330-996-3547.