Not long ago, we found out that our beloved Amarillo Sod Poodles will become the Amarillo Calf Fries for a number of games in their upcoming season.

I know it seems a bit silly, but Minor League Baseball has always been known to do some funny and quirky things. They understand that entertainment value is what sells their product, not necessarily the game itself.

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The thing with Minor League Baseball is it's hard to get attached to players. These teams are feeders for the Major League teams as they look to find their next big stars. We gain players throughout the season and lose them as well. Just see guys like Alek Thomas and Corbin Carroll, both solidly on the roster for the Arizona Diamondbacks this season.

Being such a big baseball fan, I had a couple of people ask me if doing these kinds of things was normal for minor league teams, or if Amarillo is just different. The answer to that is yes, it is VERY normal for minor league teams to change their identity throughout the season.

When I lived in Austin, we were frequent visitors to the Round Rock Express games. On certain nights throughout the season though, they became the Round Rock Chupacabras. Minor League teams are always looking for a way to play on things the city they play in are known for.

This season, several teams across the minor leagues have introduced new identities, and some of them are absolutely hilarious.

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AMARILLO CALF FRIES

We start right here at home where the Soddies will play as the Amarillo Calf Fries at selected games. I think we all know about the popularity of calf fries in the panhandle, so it's an absolutely perfect fit for the city. The logo is hilarious and will be an absolute hit among fans.

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AKRON SAUERKRAUT BALLS

The team already has a funny name as they normally play as the Akron RubberDucks, but for at least one game this season, the organization will pay homage to an Akron classic, fried sauerkraut balls. I'm not a fan of sauerkraut personally, but I AM a fan of this fried goodness taking a bath in what appears to be some marinara sauce. Pretty clever.

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HARTFORD BOUNCING PICKLES

Here's one that just about any team in Texas could pick up considering the affinity for pickles in the state. The Hartford Yard Goats beat us to the punch though. The story behind the pickles name is interesting though. It's wrapped around an arrest made back in 1948 of two men that were "conspiring to sell pickles that were unfit for human consumption," according to the Connecticut State Library. You can read the full history here.

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HICKORY DICKORY DOCKS

The Hickory Crawdads are an affiliate of the Texas Rangers, and they decided to take us down memory lane. With a play on the famous nursery rhyme, the Crawdads will play as the Hickory Dickory Docks at some point this season. I wonder if they'll be handing out pacifiers to the opposing team as they try to lull them to sleep during the game.

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HOOSIER STATE TENDERLOINS

One of the big-time food favorites in the midwest is these HUGE pork tenderloin sandwiches. My grandmother used to make the best ones. So the Fort Wayne TinCaps have decided to pay homage to the sandwich by switching things up and calling themselves the Hoosier State Tenderloins. This will benefit them in two ways. One, they're going to sell a ton of merchandise, and two, they'll probably sell a plethora of tenderloin sandwiches during those games.

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OMAHA SIZZLE

One of the Sod Poodles frequent opponents, the Omaha Storm Chasers will be firing up the grill during the season. We see the commercials every holiday season for Omaha Steaks, right? They decided they'd take their famous beef and turn it into their new name, the Omaha Sizzle. The logo is brilliant. A steak in the shape of their home state of Nebraska complete with grill marks makes this a perfect logo. I wonder if we can get a game setup between the Sizzle and Calf Fries. Seems like a pretty good meal to me.

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ROUND ROCK DONUTS

We end with the aforementioned Round Rock Express. Remember how I said they would play as the Round Rock Chupacabras at times? They've decided to switch it up this season and pay homage to one of the most delicious treats you'll find in the Austin area, the world-famous Round Rock Donuts. If you've never had one, you're missing out. I've had plenty of donuts in my lifetime, and these are simply the best ones I've ever had. I'm going to have to buy a hat for myself on this one.

These are just a few of the teams that will be having these theme nights throughout the season. All told, there are 20 teams changing things up this season, and you can see them all here, as well as buy the merch for your favorite.

Josh Jung and the Frisco RoughRiders play in Amarillo at HODGETOWN

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