Cal notes: Quakes shake up ballpark menu

The Loaded Tremor Tots are new for this season at Rancho Cucamonga's LoanMart Field, but the truth is, they've been a long time coming.

"For years, I've been an advocate of tater tots," Quakes assistant general manager Chris Pope said. "I'm like, 'Can we do something with tater tots?'"

During offseason meetings between Quakes front-office staff and the club's concessionaire partner, Professional Sports Catering, to brainstorm new items for 2016, Pope's tater-tot advocacy paid off.

"I said, 'We should call them Tremor Tots,' and then PSC stepped up," Pope recalled. "We asked them what would be on them, and they took tater tots to the next level, with nacho cheese and bacon bits and sour cream and green onion, and it is now ... it's this boat. I think it weighs two pounds. It's an amazing thing."

Therefore, when Rancho Cucamonga had the opportunity to submit an entrant into MiLB.com's Food Fight -- an annual fan-driven showdown for the best ballpark snacks in Minor League Baseball -- the Loaded Tremor Tots were a no-brainer.

"As soon as we [heard] about Food Fight, I was like, 'Oh, Loaded Tremor Tots,'" Pope said. "It's just such a unique item, and it has been selling really, really well."

In fact, during the first couple home games, by the time Pope got to the Quakes' Hot Corner Grille out near the left-field line -- where the Loaded Tremor Tots go for $7.50 per order -- they were already sold out.

"I finally got some, and they were definitely heavenly," Pope said. "I felt like I needed to work out for a few more days to work them off, but it was worth it. I'm happy they're doing really well.'"

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• On the blog: San Jose's Frickles Melt | Stockton's Carolina BBQ Pulled Pork Nachos »

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Joey Fraga, 15, tried some during his first trip to a Quakes game. Fraga helps out with the Cubs of Chino Hills Little League and is a corner infielder at Chino Hills High School.

"They're really good. They're crispy, but not too crispy," he said. "The tots are just crispy enough to handle the cheese without getting soggy."

Fraga's mom, Veronica Galindo, tried a bite and agreed the Tremor Tots were "pretty good," but also saw room for improvement.

"The bacon can sometimes overpower [the other flavors]," she said. "For me, I would want something cold on top, like fresh tomatoes."

"I would add jalapeno," Fraga said.

The Loaded Tremor Tots are, in fact, customizable.

"Some people have joked about maybe adding chili. You can definitely special-request some chili on them. They can do that for you," Pope said. "Avocado ... that is the California thing. Down in our Hot Corner Grille, we definitely have avocado. You can make it happen."

There are three other Food Fight entrants from the California League: the Stockton Ports' Carolina BBQ Pulled Pork Nachos, the San Jose Giants' Frickles Melt and the High Desert Mavericks' Dude Burrito.

The Carolina BBQ Pulled Pork Nachos, it turns out, were the product of a happy accident, and the Frickles Melt evolved out of a passion for grilled cheese.

As for High Desert's Dude Burrito (pictured), it's truly a concession item for the very hungry fan. Consisting of a 12-inch tortilla stuffed with scrambled eggs, French fries, bacon, cheese, jalapeno and guacamole, the Dude Burrito is served with a side of maple syrup.

In brief

Scorching hot in the desert: Perhaps strengthened by a diet of Dude Burritos, the Mavs were 18-6 through the games of May 1. That .750 winning percentage makes High Desert not only the hottest team in the California League, but one of the hottest in baseball. In all of the Minors, only the Hartford Yard Goats (18-5, .783) in the Double-A Eastern League had a higher winning percentage. The duo of Travis Demeritte and Tripp Martin have been a big part of that -- they finished April with eight homers, putting them in a three-way tie with Hartford's David Dahl for the Minor League home run lead.

As advertised: As of May 1, the Cal League was the only Minor League circuit in which no pitcher had thrown a complete game -- perhaps no surprise, given the league's friendly conditions for hitters and the rarity of weather-shortened games here. But don't assume that just because nobody's gone the distance, there haven't been starting pitchers who've been consistently great. For example, Inland Empire has won just five games, but Tyler Carpenter has earned two of those victories without suffering a loss over four starts. His 0.69 ERA is the best in the league.

Incognito: Fans in Modesto might have had a hard time finding their friends and family members in the stands at John Thurman Field over the weekend. On Friday, the Nuts hosted a Super Heroes Night when fans were encouraged to dress as their favorite super hero and participate in an on-field Super Hero Showcase. The next night was Mardi Gras Night, featuring a masquerade race, jambalaya, hurricanes at the bar and beads.