PrincetonPalooza!

Subscriber-only episode

Ever wondered how a local baseball team evolves over decades and still captures the hearts of its community? Join us at the historic HP Honeycup Field in Princeton, West Virginia, as we recount the colorful history of baseball in this charming town. From their early days as a Pittsburgh Pirates affiliate to transforming into the Princeton WhistlePigs of the Appalachian League, we cover it all. We also debate the curious origins of the term "whistle pig" and reminisce about unforgettable players and moments, making this segment both informative and entertaining.

Curious about how a team’s identity can galvanize a community? Learn how the Princeton WhistlePigs, inspired by local groundhogs, created a unique brand with a brown and yellow color scheme reminiscent of the San Diego Padres' retro look. We explore the contrast between managing professional players versus college athletes and discuss how the shift to a collegiate summer wood bat league in 2020 has strengthened local support. Plus, our chat with the team’s general manager, Danny Shingleton, gives you an insider’s view on exciting promotional activities planned for the upcoming season.

Meet Tommy Thomason, the legendary mascot who has brought joy to countless fans, in our heartfelt interview. From his early days as Roscoe Roos to his current role as Bucky the Whistle Pig, Tommy reveals the challenges and triumphs of life in a mascot suit. Hear about his wild experiences, the extreme conditions he performs under, and the immense joy he gets from making fans smile. This episode is a tribute to the spirit and enthusiasm fueling Princeton baseball and the people who make it all possible.

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:20

Hello everyone, welcome to this week's edition of Two Guys Talking Baseball. We are not where we usually are in the Three Crows studio. We today are at HP Honeycup Field in Princeton, west Virginia. And Brian, it's a lovely day for some baseball.

Speaker 2: 0:34

Absolutely. What a great week it's been there it is.

Speaker 1: 0:38

There it is. We've got to get it in every week. Even last week, when you had a bad week, it was a great week because of baseball, but no.

Speaker 2: 0:44

I'm so happy. This was a better week and now we're here at the ballpark and what can go?

Speaker 1: 0:48

wrong there? That's a great question. I'm sure we'll find out. Well, I'm Dallas Danger, along with Brian Logan. Thanks for joining us for this very special episode. And normally this is the part of the program every week where we do a segment called who you repping, where we talk about, uh, you know what we're wearing. You know the, the teams and the movies and the things that we like that we're wearing on our clothing.

Speaker 2: 1:12

But this week, brian, we've got some, uh, special attire that's right, we're repping ourselves this week, uh, the official 2gtb t-shirts available in our store. So that's who I'm repping the red version.

Speaker 1: 1:24

I've got the blue version just to be, I don't know, combative, different than Brian. So I've also got my USA baseball hat on, which, ever popular, very popular here at the ballpark today. Didn't expect that, but oh well, here we are. So, yeah, who are you repping this week? Very quick and to the point. So let's take a look right now at the lineup for the week. We're talking all things baseball here in Princeton, west Virginia, leading off for us, from Pirates to Whistlepigs. We're going to run down the history of HB Honeycutt Field and the franchise here in Princeton. Second on the docket today is Whistle Boss. We're going to have the general manager of the team here, danny Shingleton, come and speak with us for a little bit, talk to us about the goings on here at the park and in Princeton. Then we're going to always got some quick hits. We got to check up on that curse. Some interesting developments there. The curse, the curse and our cleanup hitter. From clubby to rooster to groundhog. We've got a mascot on the show, brian, and a mascot with quite a backstory.

Speaker 2: 2:31

Not just a mascot. We have the mascot, the premier mascot, the Hall of Fame mascot.

Speaker 1: 2:36

That is the truth. We're not just whistling Dixie there. That's the truth. We have the mascot on the show. So without further ado, let's get things kicked off. Let's talk about HP Honeycutt Field. That was originally built here in 1988. Then it was rebuilt at the same location here in 2000. They did some upgrades. They put in some nicer seating, got rid of the old wooden bleachers and is a definitely a much more modern layout for a ballpark. And so far I've we've been very comfortable here.

Speaker 2: 3:09

Brian oh, I love this ballpark. I mean, it's got a classic feel, but it's also got the amenities that you need. You can see that they're taking batting practice here behind us. They're looking good so far and I'm this is. I love this field.

Speaker 1: 3:22

Yeah, so far I'm very impressed. This has been nice. Everybody's been super hospitable to us. But yeah, so in 1988, when this team was first founded, they were actually a Pittsburgh Pirates affiliate for a couple of seasons, of course, in the Appalachian League, the only league they've ever belonged to. Then in 1990, they were actually a co-opted team called the Princeton Patriots for a season, and of course that's where you've got guys from different organizations kind of hodgepodge in a team together, which is always interesting when that transpires along the way. Then from 1991 until 96, they were a Cincinnati Reds affiliate and finally, from 1997, all the way up until affiliated baseball left the Appalachian League. In 2020, they were with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays and eventually the just the Rays, and that was a big part of the history here in Princeton. I mean, they really had an identity as a Rays affiliate here yes, it was a classic.

Speaker 2: 4:21

The team bonded with the city. The Rays were out here getting it done each and every night and it was a very good tradition here.

Speaker 1: 4:32

Yeah, I think it was a good relationship. It seemed like the Rays organization and Princeton baseball really got along. I mean, they really seemed to have a good thing going. But, as we all know, now 2020 affiliated baseball leaves, they transform the Appalachian League into a collegiate summer wood bat league and all 10 teams got to rebrand with their own unique identities. And Princeton was one of the teams that kind of went in the sort of the new trend of minor league baseball. They went a little wacky, they went a little, you know, a little fun uh something something for the kids.

Speaker 1: 5:09

And now they're the princeton whistle pigs. Brian, I love it. In your estimation, what is a whistle pig? Uh?

Speaker 2: 5:14

it's a cousin of a beaver. It's uh, not like the uptown cousin, it's kind of like the downtown in the country cousin. But they're still educated and they're still like to go to the big city every now and then, sure enough.

Speaker 1: 5:28

Yeah, okay, that's fair.

Speaker 2: 5:30

That's a fair assessment. Gus told me about that, my my guinea pig, he told me all about what whistle pigs were okay, guinea pigs, whistle pigs.

Speaker 1: 5:40

I was always told it was just a groundhog. It's just a funny name for a groundhog.

Speaker 2: 5:44

Well, you've been misinformed. Who was your informant? Was he a pig? I can't even remember at this point. Yeah, okay.

Speaker 1: 5:49

All right, okay. Well, if that's how it's going to be, we'll just go right on to some of the notable players that have played here for this organization. In 1999, four-time Major League All-Star Carl Crawford played here and I have a vague memory of that. That was kind of a big deal. He was a pretty highly touted prospect, went all the way up to the major leagues, even was with my Dodgers for a short time, so certainly of note. Let's see Johnny Gomes was here in 01. He, of course, went to some fame in the World Series later in his career. Right, josh Hamilton, the 2010 American League MVP. He also played here in 99. So they had Carl Crawford and Josh Hamilton on the same team here for one season in 1999. I mean, that had to be killer to see both those guys you know go all the way up the ladder and have success in the majors and be able to follow them and follow their career absolutely.

Speaker 1: 6:45

Yeah, so very cool for the fans here in Princeton. Kevin Kiermaier, who's still with the Rays now. He was here in 2010 and maybe, at least right now, the most famous player that ever was a part of this organization when they were with the Rays was Wander Franco. He was here in 2018, and that was special because everybody knew even then what that guy was going to turn into, who he was going to become on a big-time level, and it's paid dividends for the Rays. I mean, he has just lightened it up, had a sensational rookie year last year and hasn't really stopped yet. I mean, he's the future of that organization and he was right here just four years ago.

Speaker 2: 7:30

It's all got to start somewhere and it just happened to start here and it's going great for him so far.

Speaker 1: 7:37

Yeah, he's really special. I'm sure we're going to be talking about him a lot moving forward as we go along with this modest little podcast we have Brian. Well, that's just sort of a brief rundown of the history of baseball here in Princeton. So, without further ado, we're going to go to an interview we did a little bit earlier with Danny Shingleton, the general manager here in Princeton. All right, I have the honor and privilege to be joined by the GM here for the Princeton Whistlepigs. Mr Danny Shingleton, did I get that right, shingleton? Very good. Thanks for having us today. This has been great. Everybody's been really super nice to us, and thanks for hopping on to talk to us for a little bit.

Speaker 4: 8:16

Thanks for having me.

Speaker 1: 8:17

I appreciate it yeah absolutely, we're very impressed with the park. This was both mine and Brian's first time here and we're just having a great time and getting to talk to everybody and get a feel for Princeton. Danny, you've been here since 2017, is that right?

Speaker 2: 8:31

Yeah.

Speaker 1: 8:32

So you've seen sort of the transition go on. So I want to talk a little bit about that. With the Appalachian League, you know, switching up its format from affiliated ball now to a summer wood bat league, its format from affiliated ball now to a summer wood bat league, I think the biggest news from that change at least to the casual fan and people that might be listening to our podcast watching on YouTube is the name changes and the fact that for a lot of these clubs Princeton included this was the first time that they got to have their own unique identity. So tell me a little bit about how the name Whistlepigs kind of came to be. You know. Obviously there were a few teams Burlington, danville and you guys here in Princeton that went hard in one direction kind of the fun, you know, kid-friendly stuff. So just give me a little bit of you know how that process kind of you know went to pick out the name and make those decisions.

Speaker 4: 9:27

Yes, like you said, some of the other teams. They just got some great unique names and we wanted to do the same. When I first came to Princeton, there's a vocational school behind the baseball field that I'd seen some things out there and we were just trying to figure out what those were.

Speaker 4: 9:44

Yeah, it turns out they were groundhogs and you know, at the time it was no big deal. But then, as we're getting away from minor league baseball and becoming our own team, we were just kind of looking at unique names, some, some names I can't say Some names that the league wouldn't allow us to have.

Speaker 1: 10:03

Yeah, I heard that. I heard you weren't the only ones that had issues there.

Speaker 4: 10:12

So you know, we just kind of looked at, um, you know fish and you know some other birds and stuff, but you know there's a, there's several groundhogs, which is what we call a whistle pig.

Speaker 1: 10:18

Yeah.

Speaker 4: 10:19

And that's where the name came from.

Speaker 1: 10:25

Very cool, and the color scheme is kind of popular too. I mean, it's not a, it's not every day. You march a team out there and and brown and yellow. You know I mean reminiscent of what san diego has. You know now that they kind of went back to their retro look, but, and it fits the name, I think it's a good color scheme.

Speaker 4: 10:39

Um well, with the color scheme. I'm a san diego padres fan oh, right on okay once they went back to their retro colors. It was just.

Speaker 1: 10:46

It was just a match oh wow, okay, right on, I'm a dodger fan, so we're. I'm sorry, we can't, we can't really be close friends, I'm afraid I think we're sitting too close now.

Speaker 1: 10:56

Yeah, we are, it's true. So with the transition and moving away from having a parent club that's kind of overseeing the development of the players, sending you, you the players, paying the players Now you're dealing with college kids that have already had a season and each one of them has a college coach who has expectations, things like that. What's been the biggest difference from a player management standpoint, from professional baseball now to a Woodbat Summer League?

Speaker 4: 11:25

Well, I think, because our kids are all college players, that you know our fans and every fan can follow them more.

Speaker 1: 11:31

Yeah.

Speaker 4: 11:31

You know they know their stats and things like that when they get here. So you know it could be an affiliation with their school. You know, maybe our fans could become fans at you know their university, yeah, so I think that's one thing. As far as when we were affiliated ball, some of the players you can't really follow them unless they go back to the country they're from. It's just hard to keep tabs on them and how they're doing.

Speaker 1: 12:10

But with the college ball I think it's a little bit better for our fans to be able to recognize them. And hey, I, that guy played on our team. Yeah, for sure, for sure. I could totally see that it's a little easier. You know, um, you know, because appalachian league, that advanced rookie level, sometimes you see a guy for a summer and then he's out of baseball. I mean, I, you know that happened quite a bit. You know, very few guys made it all the way up from the Appalachian League and this is a chance, I think, to see guys continue their, their baseball lives and their careers a little bit more and keep up with them. So obviously, a team at this level, whether it was a rookie ball or now the summer collegiate league, obviously very, very tied to the community. So what has been? Has there been a difference in community support with the new identity and the new format, or has it kind of just been business as usual on that front?

Speaker 4: 12:55

well it's. It has been business as usual, but I think we've gotten more fans with the name change. Um, we've definitely sold more, more merchandise, for sure, yeah. So I mean, you know, last know, last season, we had just five deep people buying stuff at our team store which, because it's our own brand, you know it was a lot different than being affiliated with the Rays.

Speaker 1: 13:18

Yeah, and nothing against the Rays.

Speaker 4: 13:19

I mean, they're just a fantastic organization, treated us well. I mean, they're first class, top to bottom.

Speaker 1: 13:25

Yeah, we were just saying earlier in the show that it seemed like Princeton baseball and the Rays had a really good relationship. I mean, it seemed to really work, they were around forever and it just didn't seem like a tumultuous relationship at all.

Speaker 4: 13:42

Yeah, yeah, it was nothing like that. I mean, they were just. You know one thing about Tampa they got good players, but they got better people.

Speaker 1: 13:53

Yeah.

Speaker 4: 13:54

You know, and it's just like every guy that came through here was just a nice guy and a great ball player. Yeah, just pro Right. Yeah, yeah, a true pro yeah.

Speaker 1: 14:04

Well, that's great. So, danny, before I let you go, you got. Does, uh, the team have anything cool coming up this season, anything new you're trying out from a promotional standpoint, or or anything you you want to talk about as far as as far as that goes, uh, we're doing a we always do an 80s night yeah, um now with with all the new TikTok stuff, there's a lot of disco music.

Speaker 4: 14:27

So we're going to do a Saturday night fever night. Very cool, a lot of disco, donna Summer, bg stuff. You know, in our typical T-shirt giveaways we're doing 4th of July fireworks. We have a game. 4th of July we're having a hot dog eating contest that we're going to be doing before the game Love that.

Speaker 1: 14:44

So, come of July, we're having a hot dog eating contest that we're going to be doing before the game. Love that, come on out. Yeah, man, I can put away hot dogs, I think.

Speaker 4: 14:49

Brian can eat hot dogs better than I can. We'll save him a seat.

Speaker 1: 14:53

I might strive for his level just to beat him. You know what I mean. If people want more information, if they're going to be around and they want to grab tickets, how do they do that? What if they're going to be around and they want to grab tickets?

Speaker 4: 15:04

how do they do that? What's the website there? Yeah, so it's whistlepigsbaseballcom, where they can email me my email's on their website, or just show up at the gate and we'll take care of you. We've got the best concessions in the Appalachian League. Oh, I'm excited.

Speaker 1: 15:18

Yeah, come here for a great meal.

Speaker 4: 15:20

Come here for a great meal and watch some baseball.

Speaker 1: 15:23

Yeah, I've heard tell of this concession menu and I'm as excited about that as I am anything else that we're doing today here. But, yeah, you and everybody here have been great to us and I can say, folks, if you're anywhere near the area or you want a good road trip somewhere a little off the beaten path, a little different, to see a game, have a good time. Like Danny said, have a good meal. I think this is a spot for you. So I put the 2GTB endorsement fully on the Princeton Whistle Picks for sure. So, Danny, thanks again for having us and thanks for talking to us.

Speaker 4: 15:58

Same here, thanks.

Speaker 1: 15:59

All right, so that was great, man. Good to talk to Danny, hear a little bit about what's going on here in Princeton at HP Honeycutt Field. But yeah, Brian, right now.

Speaker 2: 16:11

I really enjoyed having him with us. You know the hospitality of the whole ball club has been great, but him personally taking care of us, it was amazing.

Speaker 1: 16:21

Yeah, I mean he's been great since we walked through the gates here. I mean this whole organization has treated us really well, so we can't say enough good things. If you're ever in the area, this is definitely a cool place to see a ball game and they'll take good care of you here. And my stomach's starting to growl just talking about some of the concession offerings.

Speaker 2: 16:37

Oh, we've got to get a hot dog. Absolutely.

Speaker 1: 16:46

I hear they have a uh fried bologna sandwich. I've had my eye on that for days. Oh, we gotta have a couple hundred of those, yeah, one or two hundred at least, at least. At least they're not ready for our appetite no, they're not.

Speaker 2: 16:52

They don't. They don't know how serious we take ballpark food.

Speaker 1: 16:56

Something else we take very seriously are these nice, snazzy new shirts we're wearing absolutely available at our online shop. 2gtbstorecom and brian've got all kinds of great products available over there with this great logo on them.

Speaker 2: 17:08

We do we have T-shirts, we have women's wear. We have the puppy wear, the puppy jerseys, the bandanas. We also have the Bluetooth speakers. We have a little something for everybody. But if you like the T-shirts here, you can rep either the blue team or the red team. But they are available. Now. What's that store?

Speaker 1: 17:26

address that's 2G tbstorecom. Get something for yourself, something for your dogs, something for your significant other, your mom, your dad, your brother, your sister, your cousins.

Speaker 1: 17:38

Even your in-laws yeah, just the guy next door, right, you know, there's something for everybody. The girl down the lane yeah, we've said that over and over again, but it's really true. We tried to create a store that had something for anybody, that that might find their way to the podcast, to the stream uh, the video version of the podcast on youtube, or just to the website in general. So, 2gtbstorecom for all your two guys talking baseball needs, that's it. You looked like you had something else to say there, brian, I might go there right now. I love it. I love it All right.

Speaker 1: 18:12

Well, we've got some quick hits this week. Recording schedule's a little off, so timing-wise, this might be old hat by the time you folks hear us talk about it. But, brian, the Philadelphia Phillies have, uh, relieved joe gerardi of his duties as manager, and this is shocking for a couple reasons. This is a team that there was a lot of excitement around. They. They signed some big sluggers and everybody knew there were some holes in this team. The bullpen not really there, the defense in the outfield could be better, but I think for me the most surprising thing is that I don't know that there's a better option out there on the market available than joe gerardi no, I mean he was.

Speaker 2: 18:49

He was the guy for them. I thought I mean a former cub, by the way. So you know we like him like that. I thought he was doing a good job over there with what he had to deal with and I'm very shocked by the fact that they let him go yeah, I just I can't quite wrap my head around it.

Speaker 1: 19:04

Obviously it's been disappointing, and maybe they just needed somewhere to lay the blame. Maybe he's just the guy that they said. You know, he's got to be the scapegoat.

Speaker 1: 19:14

It flowed uphill and it stopped with him, I guess. So I mean, that's all I can really come up with. I don't really know what else. But you know they're going to try and make good on some of the money they've spent, some of the big stars they've brought in, and bring a championship back to Philadelphia. In the grand scheme of things, it's not been that long since they were a very good team and they were competing every single year.

Speaker 2: 19:42

Do you think?

Speaker 1: 19:42

the new manager is going to keep Bryce Harper healthy. I don't know what it is with you and Bryce Harper. You just won't get off that guy's back.

Speaker 2: 19:49

Well, he's not ever healthy. I used to love him, but he can't stay healthy.

Speaker 1: 19:54

Well, we'll see what's in store for the Phillies moving forward? Now this one. I've got to get your opinion on this, brian. So the Yankees slugger, joey Gallo, has announced on his Instagram that he is taking a leave of absence from the team, and I'm going to read directly from his post here he is a grad student at Arizona State University. He is studying endangered yellow-eyed penguins and he says that baseball will go without him, but the penguins will not. That, um, baseball will go without him, but the penguins will not. What do you think about joey gallo taking a leave of absence from the yankees to save these penguins?

Speaker 2: 20:31

well, I mean, I'm an animal lover and and I want the, the, the yellow-eyed penguins, to survive, but I mean, this guy obligated himself for the season to this club. He needs to be there. He needs to, not, you know, unless he's completely done and he's not ever going to come back. If, if that's the case, if this is the the end, then okay, that's cool. But if he plans on coming back, he can't go out there. I mean, he can't keep saving everything. He's got to be playing baseball. That's what he signed on for. And what about the blue-eyed pig?

Speaker 1: 21:01

well, I think he'll be back. I think he'll be back as soon as teams are no longer allowed to take their third baseman and plop him in shallow right field, which, if he keeps the ball in the ballpark, it's the only other place he hits the ball right. So I I will find it interesting, uh, when, when that is the time he chooses to come back, because this guy is feast your famine at the plate and the shift has just really really made him less valuable. So next season, when you've got to keep two guys on each side a second, you've got to have your feet on the dirt. Nobody in the grass. I've got a feeling those penguins are going to be on their own once.

Speaker 2: 21:39

Can I speculate for a minute? Yes, absolutely, there's a significant other involved here. Uh, that has said, I'm going off to the galapagos to save the yellow-eyed penguins, and uh, he said, oh no, I'm going with you. So that's, that's what's happened there. That sounds a little familiar.

Speaker 1: 21:59

That sounds a lot familiar with, with just about everything I've ever dealt with, but uh, unbelievable, though just not, I mean when I was in the galapagos islands, the the yellow eyed penguins were doing fine there. There are penguins in the galapagos islands I don't know but when I was there, there was okay, okay, fair enough. I don't know how you got there, but that's neither here nor there all right, I got there in a boat, the moment you've all been waiting for.

Speaker 1: 22:26

Yes, I'm moving on. I'm moving on the moment you've all been waiting for. The latest on the National League Player of the Week curse, Dun dun dun, that we have been following for weeks now. At this point we talked a little bit last week, last episode, about Sandy Alcantara, who has been fantastic even since being named the Player of the Week. We sort of have our eye on that because we talked about pitchers and how often they're on the field compared to position players. But I think the curse is intact because Brian Francisco Lindor Thursday night we said keep an eye on truffles. And boy was not in the lineup because he jammed his finger in the door in his hotel room. I don't even think his numbers from from here on out matter.

Speaker 2: 23:18

I think that alone says the curse is intact, right without a doubt. Now the curse is actually coming after you.

Speaker 1: 23:24

Yeah.

Speaker 2: 23:25

So they tried to swerve it with the pitcher, and now the curse is like oh, no, 100%.

Speaker 1: 23:29

Oh no, the curse is mad that they awarded a pitcher the player of the week and without playing. You know five, six, seven times in a week it's harder to get him. So now the curse is just going after guys, yeah.

Speaker 3: 23:42

In their hotel rooms.

Speaker 1: 23:43

I mean, these guys really got to watch their back if they win. Nl Player of the Week.

Speaker 2: 23:47

I know they do. I mean, and we'll just keep on seeing what happens but the two games that he did play after that, he didn't do anything. Yeah, he didn't do anything in them.

Speaker 1: 23:55

He's been pretty quiet since the finger incident at the time of recording. By the time you see this, there will have been some more games. Uh, we don't yet know who the next uh victim of the curse will be. Uh, because it is saturday, we've got a few more days until we know the new player of the week. But, uh, yeah, I think I think the hotel door finger incident with lindor proves that this curse is fully intact. I'll contra be damned, absolutely.

Speaker 2: 24:19

And if you would like to have your, uh, beware of the curse of the of nfl, nfl, nl.

Speaker 1: 24:23

Wow, you want to try that one again. What is it now? It is beware of the curse of NFL.

Speaker 2: 24:25

You want to try that one again. What is it now? It is beware of the curse of the National League.

Speaker 1: 24:30

Player of the.

Speaker 2: 24:31

Week. There you go.

Speaker 1: 24:32

All right, you got it out. I'm proud of it.

Speaker 2: 24:34

I'm proud of it. National League Player of the Week. You can go to the store and get that shirt and you can rep that anywhere you want 2gtbstorecom once again, all right.

Speaker 1: 24:42

Well, it's time for our main event of the day, our cleanup hitter, as we like to call it. We have a very special guest the mascot of the Whistle Pigs. He's joined us earlier and talked to us a little bit, so we're going to go to that right now. All right, everybody, I have the esteemed privilege and pleasure right now to be joined by tommy thomason, the man behind the mask of. Is it bucky now? Is that the new bucky the whistle pig? Bucky the whistle pig. He, he was a you were. You were a chicken for some time, a rooster for uh, how long?

Speaker 3: 25:16

I mean years, right I did roscoe like in the late 90s, for like some christmas parades and and concord's homecoming parade, and then in 2002 they said, hey, you want to take it over for the game, sure? So from 2002 to 2020 I was roscoe rooster and, uh, still play roscoe every now and then yeah yeah throw it on every now and then. But uh yeah, bucky.

Speaker 1: 25:41

Uh bucky's about as popular as roscoe now, yeah, for sure, is there a difference in the way? I mean, are you approaching bucky differently than you approach roscoe, or is it kind of the same thing, just with a different outfit on?

Speaker 3: 25:53

just, different outfit, that uh just go out here and entertain and and talk a little bit yeah, yeah drive other mascots crazy, because you know nobody likes to talk. Yeah right?

Speaker 1: 26:05

yeah, that's folks. If you don't know, that's one of the special things about bucky. That was special about roscoe as well. Uh, he is a talking mascot and I've heard this story.

Speaker 3: 26:14

But uh, real briefly, tommy, talk about how that kind of came to be, where you ended up needing to talk and the next thing you know, you're the talking mascot well, it started out when I was in the concourse area and news guy asked me something and I and I just answered him and people's like, oh my gosh, he's talked. So then it just got to where I felt like to me it more personality if you go out and talk and greet fans and uh. Later on, uh, when jim holland left, he used to work the, the microphone to give away the prizes. Nobody wanted to work a microphone, right, so they gave it to roscoe and roscoe worked. Uh, I worked a microphone giving away your roses and and different prizes and things and bubble gum at one point I did, yeah, I did.

Speaker 3: 27:04

Bubble gum, bubble yum, bubble gum, kit kat candy bars a little bit everything there's a little bit of everything. Yeah, it's so much fun. Get uh, give stuff away and and bring smiles to people's faces and and do uh a price is right. Game with uh local grocery store here, grant's Supermarket, and give away. Last night we gave away tuna, oh, okay.

Speaker 4: 27:28

Wow, that was interesting.

Speaker 3: 27:29

Yeah, yeah and a little $10 gift card. So it's been interesting, been a wild ride getting to do all these mascots.

Speaker 1: 27:39

Yeah for sure. So before you became Roscoe the Rooster and were the mascot for Princeton, you actually worked in the clubhouse. Talk a little bit about your background there and then kind of what led to transitioning from clubhouse work into being the mascot.

Speaker 3: 27:54

The clubhouse started well. I was here with the Reds from 94, 96, working on the field, kind of volunteering out and trying to learn more about sport, trying to get my foot in the door. And in 97, when the Rays came in here then it was the Devil Rays I got to be friends with the clubhouse manager. His name was James Collins and he needed a little help and I helped him out and he talked to GM Jim Holland at the time and said, hey, I want this guy to be my assistant. So I became an assistant clubhouse manager. So I did that in 97 and 98.

Speaker 3: 28:36

In 98, they was getting ready to get rid of that clubhouse guy and I was asked to do it. But I had to go to florida to to get asked, you know. So I went down there february 15th of 99, uh, signed the contract and uh, got to work some uh big league games. Uh, did some uh major league rehab guys. Uh, when they was injured I'd wash their stuff, made sure they had their equipment, work some at the tropicana field and the moley field and uh, and came back to princeton on june, the 12th of 99, and ran the princeton clubhouse in 99 2000 and then I kind of backed off of it and helped a little bit in 2001 and I thought I was pretty well done.

Speaker 3: 29:25

Uh, working baseball. Then in uh 20, uh see 2002. Uh, jim holland called me, asked me to bring back roscoe and that was with the bubble young, bubble gum promotion, right, and uh, I said yeah, I'd bring him back and worked every game. And then, um, drug free mercer got to be a sponsor and Kit Kat, and that ball kept rolling and kept going.

Speaker 1: 29:51

Well, that's great man. I found it so fascinating when I found out that you went from clubhouse manager to mascot. It seems like sort of an unusual, rare kind of path, you know in working in baseball.

Speaker 1: 30:09

But I mean we've even seen Roscoe Roos. You know the people that listen to us regularly know that Brian and I met and have a background, met through and have a background in pro wrestling. We've even seen Roscoe squaring up in the squared circle and you know, getting physical with some guys, that was a wild experience Get to wrestle in a rooster suit.

Speaker 3: 30:33

One time over in Bluefield I was laying on the mat and it was outside 90 degrees. I thought this rooster's going to fry on the canvas here. But yeah, it was some wild matches, some wild times and kind of missed it a little bit.

Speaker 1: 30:47

Yeah, for sure, for sure. So you mentioned the heat. What is the secret, as a guy who's been in a mascot suit for 20 years now? What's the secret to trying to stay cool, stay hydrated, not get so overheated that you're just sick and can't perform your?

Speaker 3: 31:05

duties, right. There's times you have to sneak off and pop the helmet up a little bit, right, have somebody gay rage your water to you or whatever.

Speaker 1: 31:13

But uh yeah, because usually I work uh the first uh six or seven innings and then I go hide, yeah, and uh spirit when, when the rain hits and it gets muggy, yeah, that's no fun yeah, I can't imagine yeah, it's not fun at all yeah, I mean it takes, uh, it takes a special kind of person, I think, to put on that suit and deal with the heat and the sweat and, like you said, the mugginess if it rains or anything, and still be upbeat and moving and dancing. I know Bucky, now Roscoe, in the past doing a lot of dancing in that costume, doing a lot of dancing.

Speaker 3: 31:57

It's worth it. To put a smile on faces, though, sure. So you fight through the heat, you fight through the sweat because you make a little kid smile. That's my job for the day, absolutely absolutely so are you, and I've heard.

Speaker 1: 32:13

I've talked to a lot of people that have worked in minor league baseball that have ended up for events or appearances in the mascot suit and I I get a different answer to this from from different people, so I don't think there's a definitive way that everybody does it. Are you smiling in the suit or are you just kind of doing whatever with your face and letting the suit do the smiling, the?

Speaker 3: 32:37

funniest thing I think did roscoe the first couple years. I'd make faces at babies and then realize they're not looking at me. I've done that a couple times. I was there to stick my tongue out. It's like this kid's not looking at me. I got this big rooster head on yeah yeah, so yeah, oh, I smile all the time yeah, I mean, this is the life. Do this 2021 years and and smile the whole time, loving it, enjoying it. That's why it keeps me going yeah, yeah.

Speaker 1: 33:08

Well, I mean, you've you've been on, uh, you've been on vice, you've you've uh talked with ben hill, uh, famous ballpark traveler and writer for milbcom. Like you said, 20 plus years now. How much longer you got left in you I was joking about the night.

Speaker 3: 33:28

They asked me years ago how long was I going to go. I said until I was 40, and that was four years ago. Yeah, I might try to shoot for 50 now.

Speaker 1: 33:38

There you go well, that's great man, that's great you're. You're good at what you do, and prin Princeton loves you, that's for sure.

Speaker 3: 33:45

I appreciate it.

Speaker 1: 33:46

So I'm happy to see that, even with the change in costumes and the change in the format in the Appalachian League, you know you're still doing it and still loving it. As soon as I saw you when we first got here to the park today, you were just grinning ear to ear and you're loving your life, man, and I'm I'm happy to see that for you, buddy.

Speaker 3: 34:07

Oh yeah, I love this is home to me that spent 28 years here and honeycutt field. It's home, no other place to be couldn't have said it better myself.

Speaker 1: 34:19

Well, thanks so much for uh sitting down with me for a minute and you're all ready. You're ready to go, man, you, you're ready to get out here and do some dancing.

Speaker 3: 34:26

That's right. I'm ready for the fans to come in. It's got a little bit, but you know.

Speaker 1: 34:32

We're ready for a game tonight, that's for sure, that's right. What a treat that was. I always enjoy talking to Tommy Thomason, the man behind the mask on the mascot. He's been the mascot. He's been the mascot here for a long time and he's a big part of the community here in Princeton and coming to see a game here. So, brian, was there anything else you wanted to cover while we got this?

Speaker 2: 34:54

I just want to thank the town of Princeton and the Whistlepigs for having us and we'll see you at the field.

Speaker 1: 34:59

You don't have anything to say about the extra inning rules in the Appalachian.

Speaker 2: 35:03

League. Well, okay, do you want me to get started on that?

Speaker 1: 35:06

Now's your time. The floor is yours.

Speaker 2: 35:08

Okay, so the Appalachian League are experimenting with the sudden death rules to where, at the beginning of the game, the home team will pick offense or defense and if they pick offense they will get a player on first.

Speaker 1: 35:24

and they have to try to get in In the case of a tie after nine innings.

Speaker 2: 35:26

In the case of a tie after nine innings, of course, and then the defense would try to get three outs and if they score, the home team wins, if they were to pick offense.

Speaker 1: 35:40

Yeah.

Speaker 2: 35:41

And then, if they fail to do so, then the visiting team would win.

Speaker 1: 35:46

Yeah, it's eerily similar to the NFL football overtime rules. It's one of the least popular rules in all of sports. It's garbage Because you're not allowing each team to bat or to pitch. One team pitches, one team bats and it's. It's one inning and it's over. It's either three outs or you score a run and that decides the game. And and you, you feel strongly about this.

Speaker 2: 36:15

Yeah this is garbage. This is a garbage rule. I come here to see baseball, come here to see a contest. I'm not. You know sandlot rules. I mean again. I've said this in multiple weeks if it takes all night, it takes all night I don't care if it goes 17 innings.

Speaker 2: 36:31

I hear I want to see a winner and a loser. This is uh giving a participation trophy for just coming there. I mean, it happened the the other night that the whistle pigs, they uh seven, seven tie, but it goes down as Bristol as the winner. Well, how can you win something if it's a tie?

Speaker 1: 36:50

Yeah, see, I feel a little differently about it just because you know if it, if this was still professional baseball, I think I would be more on your side. But these are college kids, they've already played a season. How? But these are college kids, they've already played a season. How important is it to have a 12-13 or longer inning game to decide a winner? I don't know, I get where you're coming from. I'm not saying you're totally wrong, but at the end of the day, I don't know man, I kind of like it because it might get me home sooner. What would Pete do?

Speaker 2: 37:27

How would Pete Rose handle this? I got a feeling he would hate it. He would hate it and I hate it.

Speaker 1: 37:32

Well, there you go, you said your piece. You said your piece this week. Well, for Brian Logan, I'm Dallas Danger. Until next week, folks, happy baseball.