Woodpeckers flying high as Eighty Deuces

The military community is an integral part of the City of Fayetteville, and on Friday, the Fayetteville Woodpeckers pay tribute to them via the clothes on their very backs.

The Astros’ Single-A affiliate took inspiration from the concept of City Connect jerseys to create the Fayetteville Eighty Deuces, an homage to the 82nd Airborne Division -- and specifically their World War II veterans -- stationed at nearby Fort Bragg in North Carolina.

“After meeting with several commanders at the base, we thought [this identity] would be a perfect start to a long tradition of honoring the military each season,” Fayetteville marketing director Ashlei Elise said. “It’s just our way of letting the community know that we see them, that we’re a part of them and we’re thankful for everything they do.”

The design features a parachuting devil caricature holding a baseball and a bat in an army green jersey with maroon lettering spelling out “Eighty Deuces” with the last letter curving back to look like a devil’s tail. The inspiration, Elise said, came from a nickname given to the division by a German officer in his diary, where he noted that the parachuters looked like “devils in baggy pants” as they descended from the sky.

New Identity: Eighty Deuces#strikenext pic.twitter.com/GxVOZE4RJ0

— Fayetteville Woodpeckers (@WoodpeckersNC) May 19, 2023

The players understand the history and significance of their threads for the day, but they've been particularly excited about the sleek design.

“They love every single new jersey that comes out, but they’ve been very adamant that this jersey is, in their words, 'sick' and 'fire,'" Elise laughed.

With over 30,000 servicemen and women stationed at Fort Bragg -- which will be renamed Fort Liberty in June -- and countless veterans living in Fayetteville, the Woodpeckers feel it's important to honor the community any way possible, and it won’t stop with the jerseys.

The Eighty Deuces mark just the beginning of Fayetteville's plan to expand upon military appreciation. The club intends to honor different brigades in the coming years -- they’ll be the Deuces for two years, then will pay homage to the Panthers, Pegasus and others.

“I definitely want to make sure that everyone feels included and that everyone has that shining moment of pride here on the field,” said Elise, the daughter of Michael and Kimberly Mason, who served in the airborne themselves.

The response from the community has already been as strong as that of the players. The day the identity was unveiled, the Woodpeckers sold out of Eighty Deuces T-shirts and the pre-order for the jerseys is almost filled as well.

“It has been amazing,” Elise said. “I wanted to make sure we did it right. … It’s been an overwhelming type of support and positive response.”