Biscuits introduce new promotions for 2020 season
The Montgomery Biscuits held its inaugural press conference for the 2020 season, introducing a new mascot (the Rally Chicken and Baker) as well as the new T-shirt designs as told by GM Michael Murphy. (By Tim Gayle)
By TIM GAYLE
The Montgomery Biscuits held their inaugural press conference of the 2020 season on Tuesday morning to discuss this year’s promotions and to kick off the sale of single-game tickets.
The organization will hold a press conference and a meet-the-team gathering on April 6-7 when the team arrives in the Capital City for the start of the 2020 season, but Tuesday’s announcements focused on the promotions that will occur during the Biscuits’ “Year of Chicken.”
“This is our third year of doing our T-shirt Thursdays,” Biscuits general manager Michael Murphy said. “Every single Thursday, the first 1,000 fans 15 and over will receive a free T-shirt.”
The shirts, Murphy added, will be “something that ties into the themes of the (promotional) nights we’ll have, something you’ll be proud to wear around, that will tell a story.”
Murphy showed images of 11 of the 12 shirts that will be given away at each Thursday home game this season, beginning with the second home game of the season. The “Aviation Night” T-shirt giveaway on April 16 features an illustration of the Wright Brothers’ first aviation school at Maxwell Air Force Base, tying in with the “Beyond the Horizon Air and Space Show” that will held at Maxwell on April 18-19.
A week later, the second of three Thursday T-shirt giveaways in April will feature an “MGM Night” shirt that corresponds with the Chamber of Commerce’s plan to host a “Business After Hours” meeting at the stadium.
“We really pride ourselves on carrying that MGM flag,” Murphy said. “When people think of MGM, we want the Biscuits to be the first thing that comes to their minds.”
Murphy then directed attention to “Great Achievement Night” on May 28, featuring a shirt that honors the .462 batting average of Gary Redus, the former minor league and Major League star from north Alabama who is now an assistant coach with the Biscuits. The batting average from the late 1970s with the Billings (Mont.) Mustangs remains a professional baseball record to this day.
Great Achievement Night will honor the accomplishments of those in central Alabama, Murphy said, which could include the current state titles won by Montgomery Academy in boys tennis, girls tennis and girls soccer; by St. James in indoor track, outdoor track and girls tennis; by Catholic in outdoor track; by Autauga Academy in football; and by Evangel Christian Academy and Robert E. Lee in boys basketball.
Murphy also mentioned the “Tribute to Artificial Sweetener” Night T-shirt that features the Twitter handle of former Biscuit and current Tampa Bay player Brandon Lowe, “Sweet and Lowe.”
The 12th T-shirt will be designed by a fan and will be distributed on the final week of the regular season (Sept. 3). The fans can go to the Biscuits web site (www.biscuitsbaseball.com) and find more information on designing a T-shirt that includes team mascot “Big Mo either eating healthy or being active and making an impact in our community,” Murphy said.
In addition, the Biscuits will hold a variety of other promotional events, such as their hat giveaway on NASCAR Night (April 21), and the “Lil’ Crumbs” gear awarded to fans 14 and under that includes light switch covers (May 3), tooth brush holders (May 31), replica jerseys (July 12) and lunchboxes (July 26), among others.
The Biscuits also unveiled their 2020 mascot (in addition to Big Mo), the “Rally Chicken and the Baker,” a part of the promotional “year of chicken” season that will provide late-inning interaction with the fans if a ninth-inning rally is needed. The yet-unnamed baker will be part of a naming contest as well later in the season.
The Biscuits will open the season on April 9 in Biloxi, Miss., with a five-game stand before making their 2020 debut at Riverwalk Stadium on April 15 against the Pensacola Blue Wahoos at 6:35 p.m.
Single-game tickets for all 70 home games are now available at the team’s web site or by calling the Biscuits at 334-323-BALL.