Toledo Mud Hens

You may have noticed a trend by minor league sports teams across the country hosting Star Wars-themed promotional events.  Great Lakes Base and Ohio Garrison recently added Fifth Third Field in Toledo to our list of ballparks visited -- as the Toledo Mud Hens hosted their first-ever "Star Wars Night" promotion against the Pawtucket Red Sox.

Lumpy explains how playing Chewbacca is much like being called up to "the show!"

photo courtesy of Toledo Mud Hens

"After throwing out the first pitch (which was a strike right down the heart of the plate by the way!!) the player that caught the ball asked ME to autograph the ball for HIM!" Lumpy continued, "He gave it to a kid in the crowd so some kid left the Mudhens game with an autographed Chewbacca ball!!"

Toledo Mud Hens - "Star Wars Night" video recap

Most of the evening was spent over by the team's photo backdrop, where fans were lined up for most of the game to get a picture with some of the Star Wars characters.  Would you believe that the Mud Hens' PR team ended up having to cut off the line for overcrowding concerns -- what is this: a George Lucas Q/A at Celebration VI or something?  That is amazing if you think about it and just goes to show we need to do MORE events in the NW corner of Ohio more often.  Trust me, we're working on that!

Toledo Mud Hens "Mission Photos"

*photos and video courtesy of Toledo Mud Hens baseball organization (thanks guys!)

Unfortunately, the Mud Hens lost 5-2 and while the post-game fireworks and stadium full of lightsabers was some consolation, the good news is that the Mud Hens are currently holding onto 2nd place in the International League (West) standing.

And for those of you wondering... the Toledo baseball Mud Hens goes all the way back to 1896, when the team played at Bay View Park.  The surrounding marshland was frequented by these strange birds, officially known as: American Coot (Fulica americana).  The abundance of Mud Hens near the park inspired the nickname.  The baseball Mud Hens are also famously known for being the favorite baaseball team of Jamie Farr -- a Toledo native -- who played Max Klinger in the classic "M*A*S*H" TV series; both of whom were devoted Mud Hens fans.