Fans in this Minor League town are hungry for ... the Spicy Meatballs?!?
Benjamin Hill travels the nation collecting stories about what makes Minor League Baseball unique. This excerpt from his newsletter is a mere taste of the smorgasbord of delights he offers every week. Read the full newsletter here, and subscribe to his newsletter here.
Benjamin Hill travels the nation collecting stories about what makes Minor League Baseball unique. This excerpt from his newsletter is a mere taste of the smorgasbord of delights he offers every week. Read the full newsletter here, and subscribe to his newsletter here.
When we last checked in with the Binghamton Rumble Ponies, the New York Mets’ Double-A affiliate had just released their Bathtub Donkeys alternate identity. This tribute to an archaic and perhaps apocryphal state law will be complemented on the team’s 2025 promotional calendar by another, perhaps even more absurd, alter-ego:
The Southern Tier Spicy Meatballs.
"The primary logo features a meatball portrayed as an Italian gondolier on a bed of pasta making its way through a river of sauce with a baseball bat fork," wrote the Rumble Ponies in their press release, providing a perfect example of how, in Minor League Baseball, even straightforward descriptions carry a strong whiff of the whimsical. "The secondary logo features the baseball bat fork of the meatball bat gondolier with spaghetti noodles wrapped around the utensil."
That’s what the Spicy Meatballs look like, but why do they exist in the first place?
There is a significant Italian population throughout central New York’s Southern Tier region, of which Binghamton is a part. The Rumble Ponies specifically single out nearby Endicott as an epicenter of Italian heritage; this locale, along with Binghamton and Johnson City, makes up the Southern Tier’s “Triple Cities” metropolitan area. (From 1923-68, Binghamton’s Minor League team was known as the Triplets, a reference to the Triple Cities.)
"In the early days of Endicott, N.Y., an area known as the North Side was huge with Italian roots," according to the press release. "Many of the Italian immigrants moving to the region worked at the Endicott-Johnson Shoe Company, Inc. However, many property owners would not sell land to Italian immigrants, so Endicott-Johnson purchased properties for their employees and along the cobblestone streets of Endicott grew the vibrant community of Little Italy..."
The Endicott-Johnson Shoe Company, established in 1899, was for a time the largest manufacturer of footwear in the nation. Company president George Johnson, known for his philanthropy and generally enlightened approach to labor relations, bestowed the region with six carousels between 1919 and 1934. These carousels, still operating, inspired the Binghamton Mets to change their name from the Mets to the Rumble Ponies in 2016. A Rumble Pony, you see, is a slang for a carousel horse.
Despite the influence of the Endicott-Johnson Shoe Company within the Southern Tier region, the Rumble Ponies have yet to unveil a footwear-themed alternate identity. For an example of such, one doesn’t have to leave the state of New York, or the Mets' farm system. In 2018, the Triple-A Syracuse Chiefs (now known as the Mets) played as the Devices, an homage to the ubiquitous Brannock Device foot measuring tool that was invented in Syracuse.
As for the Southern Tier Spicy Meatballs, the aforementioned meatball gondolier will be depicted within a uniform featuring a green, red and white color scheme (in a nod to the Italian flag). The Rumble Ponies will adopt this identity from Aug. 14-16, in conjunction with the annual bazaar staged by the nearby St. Mary of the Assumption church.
Though it remains to be seen how the Spicy Meatballs will fare on the field, their mere existence has already generated plenty of online enthusiasm. No less an entity than the State of New York was moved to weigh in, simply tweeting, "This eats."
Mangia, mangia!
Benjamin Hill is a reporter for MiLB.com and writes Ben's Biz Blog. Follow Ben on Twitter @bensbiz.
2025 Nick Adenhart Memorial Scholarship Now Open
Cedar Rapids, IA – The Cedar Rapids Kernels and Kernels Foundation are pleased to announce the 2025 Nick Adenhart Memorial Scholarship Application is now open. Nick's family and the Kernels Foundation would like to honor him by awarding two $1000 scholarships in his memory. The Kernels Foundation is privileged to
2025 Cedar Rapids Kernels Coaching Staff Announced
Cedar Rapids, IA - In conjunction with the Minnesota Twins, the Cedar Rapids Kernels are pleased to announce the Kernels 2025 coaching staff. Manager Brian Meyer joins the Kernels for his first season at the helm in Cedar Rapids, replacing Brian Dinkelman who managed the Kernels each of the last
CEO of Cedar Rapids Ball Club Announces Retirement
Cedar Rapids, Iowa (23 December 2024) – The Cedar Rapids Baseball Club (CRBC), owners of both the Cedar Rapid Kernels and the Waterloo Bucks baseball teams announce plans for the retirement of CRBC’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Doug Nelson. “It has been an honor to be part of the Cedar
IHSAA 3A and 4A State Baseball Tournament to Return to Cedar Rapids in 2026
Cedar Rapids, IA - The IHSAA Class 3A and 4A State Baseball Tournament will be held at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Cedar Rapids for 2026, 2027, and 2028. The Kernels also hosted the 2024 IHSAA 3A and 4A State Baseball Tournament. "We are thrilled to have the opportunity to host
Wisconsin Routs Cedar Rapids 10-3, Kernels Finish the 2024 Season 67-63
Cedar Rapids, IA - Wisconsin scored three times in the top of the first inning and never looked back, taking the season finale over the Kernels 10-3 Sunday afternoon. After not scoring a run in the Cedar Rapids win on Saturday, Wisconsin did not waste time getting on the scoreboard
Prielipp, Castro Dominate, Kernels Blow it Open Late in 11-0 Win Over Wisconsin
Cedar Rapids, IA - Connor Prielipp and Ricky Castro combined to produce the Kernels sixth shutout of the year, while the offense scored ten runs in the eighth as Cedar Rapids blew out Wisconsin 11-0 Saturday night. In a game that began as a pitchers' duel, Connor Prielipp made his
Rudy Shines, Timber Rattlers Top Kernels 3-2
Cedar Rapids, IA - Wisconsin starter Will Rudy did not allow a run across six innings of work, earning the win as the Timber Rattlers topped the Kernels 3-2 Friday night. After the Kernels struck first in each of the first three games of the series, Wisconsin got on the
Kernels Take Down Timber Rattlers 5-3, Clinch 11th Consecutive Over .500 Season
Cedar Rapids, IA - Cedar Rapids took a 5-0 lead it would never lose Thursday night as the Kernels topped Wisconsin 5-3, clinching a better than .500 record on the year for the 11th straight season. After Cedar Rapids opened a 3-0 lead in the win on Wednesday, the Kernels
Gonzalez the Hero, Kernels Walk-Off Wisconsin 4-3
Cedar Rapids, IA - With two outs in the top of the tenth inning, Gabriel Gonzalez lifted a double to left, plating the game-winning run to lift the Kernels over the Timber Rattlers 4-3 Wednesday night. After scoring just one run in the series opener on Tuesday, the Kernels offense
Timber Rattlers Top Kernels in a Pitcher’s Duel 2-1
Cedar Rapids, IA - Felix Valerio’s eighth-inning two-run home run gave Wisconsin just enough offense as the Timber Rattlers eked out a 2-1 win over the Kernels Tuesday night. In his final start with the Kernels this season, Ty Langenberg was great to begin the night on the mound. Langenberg
Captains Top Kernels in Series Finale 6-3
Eastlake, OH - Lake County struck for three home runs as the Captains knocked off the Kernels 6-3 in the series finale Sunday afternoon. After a walk-off win on Saturday, the Captains got on the board first to begin Sunday. To begin the top of the third, Jonah Advincula singled,
Rivas the Hero, Captains Walk-Off Kernels 4-3
Eastlake, OH - In a tied game with the bases loaded and one out in the ninth, Kevin Rivas lined a single into left field, lifting the Captains to a 4-3 walk-off win over Cedar Rapids Saturday night. In game five of the set, Cedar Rapids got on the board
Lake County Scores Six Times in the Third, Captains Top Kernels 7-4
Eastlake, OH - Lake County broke a 1-1 tie with six runs in the bottom of the third inning and never looked back in a 7-4 win over Cedar Rapids Friday night. After back-to-back Kernels wins, Lake County got on the board first on Friday. Angel Genao opened the bottom
Kernels Score Four Unanswered, Knock Off Lake County 5-2
Eastlake, OH - After falling behind 2-1 in the first inning, the Kernels scored the game’s final four runs as Cedar Rapids topped Lake County for the second straight night, 5-2. After opening a 7-0 lead in the win on Wednesday, the Kernels again jumped on top first on Thursday.
Clayton Homers, Langenberg Dominates, Kernels Top Captains 7-5
Eastlake, OH - Matthew Clayton blasted a grand slam, and Ty Langenberg notched six scoreless innings as the Kernels opened a 7-0 lead they would never lose in a 7-5 win over Lake County Wednesday afternoon. After falling behind early in the loss on Tuesday, the Kernels climbed on the
Dragons Lead Wire-to-Wire, Top Kernels 7-2
Dayton, OH - Dayton scored three times in the bottom of the first inning and never looked back Sunday afternoon, topping the Kernels for the fifth time in the set, 7-2. After the Kernels opened up a 3-0 lead on Saturday, it was the Dragons that hopped on the board
Kernels Score Three in the Tenth, Down Dayton 7-4
Dayton, OH - Walker Jenkins delivered a go-ahead RBI double, and Nate Baez put the game away with a two-run home run in the tenth inning as the Kernels grabbed their first win in Dayton, 7-4 in ten innings. After falling behind 7-0 in the loss Friday, the Kernels flipped
Collier Slugs Three Home Runs, Dragons Top Kernels 11-4
Dayton, OH - Dayton Third Baseman Cam Collier blasted three home runs as the Dragons powered past the Kernels 11-4 Friday night. After a walk-off win in game three of the series on Thursday, it didn’t take long for the Dragons to hop on the board on Friday. In the
Kernels Comeback Falls Short, Dayton Walks-Off Cedar Rapids 5-4
Dayton, OH - With one out in the bottom of the ninth inning, Hector Rodriguez delivered a walk-off single, plating Carter Graham as the Dragons grabbed their third straight win over the Kernels, 5-4. After Cedar Rapids scored early on Wednesday, it was Dayton that flipped the script and jumped
Cespedes Homers and Collects Three Hits, But Kernels Fall in Dayton 4-3
Dayton, OH - Rubel Cespedes crushed his 12th home run of the year as part of a three-hit night, but it was not enough as the Dragons grabbed game two of the series over Cedar Rapids 4-3. Cespedes got his big night started right away in the top of the
Dayton Scores Four Times in the Fifth, Tops Cedar Rapids 4-1
Dayton, OH - The Dragons broke a scoreless tie in the bottom of the fifth with four straight singles that turned into four runs as Dayton took game one of the series over Cedar Rapids 4-1. Cedar Rapids starter Rick Castro and Dayton starter T.J. Sikkema began Tuesday evening in
Cedar Rapids Pitching Leads Kernels Past Cubs 4-1
Cedar Rapids, IA - Jeremy Lee and Spencer Bengard combined to not allow an earned run across the first eight innings Sunday afternoon as the Kernels grabbed the series finale over South Bend 4-1. For the first time in the series, Cedar Rapids scored first. In the bottom of the
Klein, Gonzalez Lead Kernels Past Cubs 6-3
Cedar Rapids, IA - John Klein did not allow a run across five innings of work out of the Cedar Rapids bullpen and Gabriel Gonzalez collected two run-scoring doubles as the Kernels grabbed a 6-3 win over South Bend Saturday night. After a resounding 15-2 win on Friday, the Cubs
South Bend Erupts for 15 Runs on 17 Hits, Rocks Cedar Rapids 15-2
Cedar Rapids, IA - South Bend matched its season-high with 15 runs Friday night on a season-best 17 hits as the Cubs rolled past the Kernels 15-2. South Bend hopped on the board first for the fourth straight game to begin the series. With two outs in the top of
South Bend Leads Wire-to-Wire, Cubs Top Kernels 6-4
Cedar Rapids, IA - South Bend scored twice in the top of the third and never looked back Thursday evening, handing the Kernels their second loss in three games, 6-4. The Cubs struck first for the third straight game to begin the series. To lead off the third, Ed Howard