Shuckers celebrating Mardi Gras as King Cakes

Carnival season is in full swing and Mardi Gras is imminent. On Wednesday evening the Biloxi Shuckers joined their region's ongoing celebrations by parading out a new alternate identity: the King Cakes.

King cakes are a carnival season staple, traditionally consumed in the approximately five-week period between King's Day (hence the name) and Fat Tuesday. These decadent desserts, made with a cinnamon roll-style dough, are colorful and customizable. The Shuckers -- Milwaukee's Double-A affiliate -- created the King Cakes identity as a way to pay tribute to the culture of their Gulf Coast home. They will suit up as the King Cakes on four occasions throughout the 2024 season.

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"Biloxi is the home to Mardi Gras in the state of Mississippi," said Javik Blake, the Shuckers' broadcaster and media relations manager. "The first parade held in the state of Mississippi was here in Biloxi in 1908. It's grown and changed and adapted through the times. So for us to be able to honor that through this alternate identity, it's fun, but it's something that also really connects to the history of the coast as well."

The King Cakes identity is the first alternate one for the Shuckers, who played their first season in 2015 after relocating from Huntsville, Ala. The logos were created by Brandiose, the San Diego-based studio also responsible for Biloxi's primary logo. The King Cakes' logo features an anthropomorphic rendition of such, coated in yellow, green and purple frosting and clutching a baseball bat. The sleeves of the uniforms, meanwhile, will feature striping that resembles Mardi Gras beads.

If the unveiling of the Biloxi King Cakes results in a slight case of déjà vu, it's because the identity is a spiritual successor to a now-defunct Minor League team whose logos were also designed by Brandiose. From 2017-19, New Orleans' Pacific Coast League franchise was known as the Baby Cakes, a reference to the small plastic baby figurine often hidden within the king cake. Traditionally, whoever receives the slice of king cake with the baby in it hosts the following year's Mardi Gras celebrations.

The Shuckers unveiled their new King Cakes alter ego Wednesday as part of an open-to-the-public party at their home of MGM Park. Blake deemed it a "Mardi Gras celebration" that included beads, bunting, king cakes and even king cake-flavored beer. The event also gave fans a look at the renovations currently in progress at the ballpark, including an area beyond right field being transformed into a "beach paradise."

The Shuckers will make their King Cakes debut on May 11, with additional games scheduled in June, July and August.

"The nights we transform into the King Cakes, it will really be a multifaceted thing," said Blake. "It'll be about tying Mardi Gras themes and culture into our ballpark."