Sea Dogs sweeten up to record as Whoopie Pies

What a lot of whoopie.

On Friday night, the Portland Sea Dogs had their cake and ate it, too. The Double-A affiliate of the Red Sox suited up as their original alternate identity -- the Maine Whoopie Pies -- and also set out to earn a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records.

Although the club awaits official word on whether or not they'll get that spot, it's a fairly safe bet they did something that has never previously been done.

Here it is in black and white: The team lined up 2,129 whoopie pies (a delicacy of disputed origin, involving two chocolate, cakey lumps sandwiching a cream frosting center) side-by-side in front of Hadlock Field for an uninterrupted block stretching 665 feet.

At the time of Portland's attempt, there existed no record for longest line of whoopie pies at all, but the team had reason to believe they would need at least 1,000 in a row to be considered for recognition as a Guinness World Record holder. They carefully documented the evening's confectionary conga line and sent all of their evidence off for certification.

Meanwhile, Whoopie Pies broadcasters Emma Tiedemann and Rylee Pay quite possibly set another record in the booth by sampling a different flavored whoopie pie from sponsor Wicked Whoopies each inning.

“It was a delicate dance, with one of us trying the whoopie pie and the other taking over the play by play and inviting the other to share their thoughts on the whoopie pie," Tiedemann said. "It was definitely one of the most unique broadcasts I’ve ever done, and it created a lot of engagement with the fans.”

Whoopie pies are the official state treat of Maine, per a 2011 legislative act, although ownership of the sweet treat is subject to a bitter debate. Pennsylvanians also claim it as their own, and the Reading Fightin Phils -- Eastern League rivals of the Sea Dogs -- played as the Reading Whoopies in 2017, two seasons before the debut of the Maine Whoopie Pies ballclub.

Tiedemann, a Texan by birth, admitted ignorance to the wonder of whoopie pies growing up and throughout the first stops of her baseball career in such non-whoopie-pie-inclined locales as Minnesota, Alaska and Kentucky.

“There was zero whoopie pie experience until Portland announced rebrand years ago, when I realized they exist," she said. "When I tried my first one, I realized it truly is the perfect treat, and I’ll pick one up if I’m in a local establishment and they have them for sale by the cash register.”

Pay, in her first season with the team, enjoyed her first whoopie pie tastes on the air.

"Very good!" she said after a bite of the classic flavor in the first inning. "It's a good chocolate flavor. The texture is great, as well. I'm impressed."

With 10 other varieties of whoopie pie in the booth, Pay most looked forward to trying the red velvet flavor. She said on the air that it met her expectations, although "the other flavors have really given it a run for its money."

As for Tiedemann, she was taken by surprise.

“I really enjoyed the pumpkin," she said. "It’s taken a while for me to admit it, and maybe I’m basic, but I do really like pumpkin flavor.”

The Whoopie Pies on the field lost in 10 innings, 12-8, despite getting home runs from top Red Sox prospects Marcelo Mayer and Nick Yorke. Still, in the eyes of Portland fans, it was the kind of night at the ballpark that really takes the cake.

It does leave one question: should they go into the record books for this year's Whoopie Pies promo, how do they top it (er... frost it?) next season?

Don't ask Tiedemann.

“I don’t know if my body can physically handle it," she said. "Maybe after a year? I don’t know that I’m going to be able to eat another whoopie pie any time soon.”