Sea Dogs to become the Maine Whoopie Pies

    
Portland, Maine- The Portland Sea Dogs are changing their name…for one night anyway. The Sea Dogs will become the Maine Whoopie Pies, presented by Trademark Federal Credit Union, on Friday, June 21st when they host the Reading Fightin Phils at 7:00 PM at Hadlock Field. The name change is in celebration of the official state treat of Maine: the whoopie pie!

The Maine Whoopie Pies have partnered with Wicked Whoopies and the Maine Whoopie Pie Festival, which takes place on Saturday, June 22nd in Dover-Foxcroft, Maine, to create Maine Whoopie Pie Weekend. The Maine Whoopie Festival mascot; "Sweetie Pie" will be at Hadlock Field for the June 21st game, where fans will have the opportunity to win complimentary passes to the Maine Whoopie Pie Festival.  
To bring the night to life, the team will wear specialty hats and jerseys, featuring the Maine Whoopie Pies logo: a fierce Whoopie Pie character at-bat. This primary logo adorns the front of the hats and the left sleeves of the jerseys. The alternate logo depicts a whoopie pie in the shape of the state of Maine and is highlighted on the side of the caps and the left sleeves of the jerseys. Sandwiched chocolate brown and white panels on the hats create a whoopie pie effect. The jerseys echo this wearable-whoopie effect with brown front and backs, with white panels sandwiched on the sides. "Whoopie Pies" is spelled loud and proud across the front of each jersey, in creamy white lettering. 
Maine Whoopie Pies merchandise including on-field hats, adjustable hats, and various t-shirts are now available for sale at the Hadlock Field Souvenir Store or online at whoopiepiesofmaine.com. 
The June 21st game will feature a pregame whoopie pie eating contest and whoopie pie themed in-game promotions. And of course, there will be plenty of whoopie pies from Wicked Whoopies for fans to enjoy.
Additionally, the first 1,000 fans to enter the ballpark will receive a whoopie pie seat cushion, courtesy of Trademark Federal Credit Union.
THE ORIGIN
A whoopie pie is two round chocolate cake-like cookies with a sweet, creamy filling or frosting sandwiched between them. Many places claim to be the birthplace of the whoopie pie including Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. The whoopie pie has been a favorite of Mainer's for nearly a century, with the first whoopie pie in Maine being served by Labadie's Bakery in Lewiston in 1925. The Maine State Legislature named the whoopie pie the official state treat in 2011. The world's largest whoopie pie, weighing over 1,000 pounds, was made in South Portland in 2011.  
THE TREND
In recent years, many Minor League teams have temporarily adopted the identity of food items that are unique or popular in their region. Some of the teams have included the Fresno Tacos, Pawtucket Hot Wieners, and Trenton Pork Rolls.  
In 2017, the Reading Fightin Phils became the Reading Whoopies, as many people claim that the whoopie pie originated in Pennsylvania's Americana Region. So, when the Maine Whoopie Pies take on Reading on June 21st at Hadlock Field they'll be playing for more than just an Eastern League win…they'll be playing for the right to claim the whoopie pie for their region (at least for the day).  
TICKETS
Tickets to see the Maine Whoopie Pies in action at Hadlock Field on June 21st are available at whoopiepiesofmaine.com or by calling the ticket office at 207-879-9500. Special ticket packages are available that offer Whoopie Pies merchandise along with a ticket to the game. The "Little Whoop" package includes a Reserved Seat ticket to the game along with a Maine Whoopie Pies t-shirt for $30.00. The "Big Whoop" ticket package includes a Reserved Seat ticket to the game along with a Whoopie Pies t-shirt and an adjustable hat for $55.00.