Batting practice on a boat: Blue Ghost Weekend

Remember the “Seinfeld” episode where Kramer takes an old bucket of Titleists down to the beach and launches them into the ocean? Imagine that, but make it baseball, that’s how the Corpus Christi Hooks took batting practice during Blue Ghost Weekend.

The event, which was held on Memorial Day weekend, honors the USS Lexington, a decommissioned WWII aircraft carrier that is visible from Whataburger Field and nicknamed the Blue Ghost. It started back in 2018, to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the commissioning of the ship.

For the three-game set, the Double-A Astros affiliate became the Blue Ghosts, with all new uniforms and a brand-new logo.

“Our senior manager of creative services Courtney Gatlin, she knocked it out of the park,” said Dustin Fishman, the director of marketing for the Hooks. “She spent a serious amount of time over at the Lexington, just trying to get all the inspiration from the ship itself.”

While previous iterations of the special uniforms "played a bit more to the sailor tattoo style,” the 2023 logo focused on the aircraft itself. It features an F6F Hellcat jet taking off from the USS Lexington and into the sky. That same care and attention to detail was taken when making the uniform as well, it mirrors different elements of the ship itself and features stars on the sleeve akin to that of the Hellcat.

“It’s just a very granular design that played very well to the Lexington as a whole,” Fishman said.

Playing as the Blue Ghosts, Corpus Christi took two out of three games from the Midland RockHounds. Aside from the new identity and the games themselves, the main event was batting practice on the actual aircraft carrier.

“We have a little portion on the backside of the Lex that we fence off and they are just launching baseballs off into the bay, and it’s an experience unlike anything else,” Fishman said.

Today’s batting practice at the @LEXCV16 pic.twitter.com/Tz4gpfSxX6

— Corpus Christi Hooks (@cchooks) May 27, 2023

Unlike Kramer with his golf balls, that subsequently plugged the blow hole of a whale, the Hooks station staff members on jet skis in the water to retrieve all of the baseballs so that no wildlife is affected. For batting practice, fans are welcome to come, hangout and watch the players hit lasers.

This time around, 14 Hooks batters were able to participate, and they were enjoying it so much that eventually the staff had to step in and remind them that they had a game to play.

“There’s a total buy in from the team and the players and the coaching staff,” Fishman said. “We even had our manager Joe Thon taking a couple hacks out there too. It breaks up the every day of practice, game and whether you’re home or away, it’s just something for them to hopefully never forget.”

This year was extra special because Hooks infielder Chad Stevens’ father Gary actually landed on the USS Lexington when he was in the Air Force and was able to attend the weekend.

“To have that full circle moment was ridiculous to see all come to fruition and to be able to make that emotional connection as well,” Fishman said.

Blue Ghost weekend has become a trademark tradition at the ballpark and the Hooks hope it will continue for years to come.