AKRON, Ohio — The RubberDucks 2023 season begins Thursday at 6:35 p.m. at Canal Park baseball stadium in downtown Akron, with the team taking on the Erie SeaWolves.
Thursday’s postgame fireworks will be the first of 28 fireworks shows planned for the season, the team said in a release.
During the season, the RubberDucks, the Double-A affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians, will once again feature promotions for each day of the week, as well as themes for each of the team’s 69 regular-season home games.
“From honoring Akron with the Sauerkraut Balls and Devil Strips rebrands to all of our exciting giveaways and theme nights, I think there is something each night everyone will enjoy this season,” said RubberDucks President and General Manager Jim Pfander.
Season giveaways include t-shirts and bobbleheads, with bobbleheads available for actress Karyn Parsons of “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” RubberDucks manager Rouglas Odor, Pro Football Hall of Famer Joe Thomas, RubberDucks mascot Rubberta and actor Kevon Sussman, best known for roles in “Ugly Betty and ”The Big Bang Theory,” the team said.
Additional season highlights include three day games:
- Education Day at 11:05 a.m., Tuesday, May 23
- Big Splash Day at 12:05 p.m., Tuesday, July 18
- Businesspersons’ Special at 12:05 p.m., Tuesday, Aug. 1
This season, the team will once again honor the Akron Black Tyrites to salute Akron’s contribution to the Negro League in the 1930s, and will continue its Perros Calientes brand, which is part of the Copa de la Diversion, a season-long series embracing the culture and traditions of the Hispanic community, said RubberDucks Manager of Promotions and Community Relations Austin Stephens.
The RubberDucks, formerly the Akron Aeros, will also pay tribute to proposed names for the team.
“We are also excited to debut a new look to T-shirt Tuesdays with the ‘What Could’ve Been Collection’ that features some of the different name possibilities the team could have been called instead of the RubberDucks following a name-the-team contest from 2011,” Stephens said.
On Friday, July 7, the team will transform for one night into the Akron Devil Strips as a nod to Akron’s name for what most of the world calls the “tree lawn,” the team said.
Then, on Friday, Aug. 18, the team will play as the Akron Sauerkraut Balls in honor of the breaded, deep-fried orb made of sauerkraut and pork. Sauerkraut balls are purported to have been developed in Akron, and are a popular appetizer on menus across the city.
The RubberDucks will add two new processes this season as well, to improve efficiencies and speed up service time, the team said.
New digital ticketing will enable fans to select games online and forward tickets to friends or recall tickets, the team said. Digital tickets an be added to Apple or Google wallets, so fans can scan their phone to enter the game.
To make transactions more efficient, Canal Park is going cashless, the team said. A reverse ATM will be available to convert cash into a card that can be used anywhere.
Child-programmed days, such as Education Days on May 16 and May 23 and Big Splash Day on July 18, will be hybrid days allowing cash or card, while the Fun Zone will accept cash or card at every game throughout the season, the team said.
“We did a lot of research and visited the best sports venues in the business over the past few years,” Pfander said. “With the move to digital ticketing and a cashless ballpark, we are making transactions at Canal Park faster and easier so fans can spend more time enjoying all the affordable family fun we have planned this season.”
For hungry ballpark fans, the RubberDucks has added five new items to the Extreme Food Menu, joining returning extreme foods such as the 98.1 KDD Screamer, the team said.
The Screamer, a fan-favorite, is a five-pound sundae served in a RubberDucks batting helmet made with 21 scoops of locally made Smith’s Premium Ice Cream on a brownie base and topped with chocolate syrup, bananas, whipped cream, sprinkles and maraschino cherries.
New Extreme Food Menu items include:
- Buffalo Chicken Nachos
- All Around the World Dog involves three different jumbo overtopped hot dogs in one order.
- Spatz & Amanda’s Bases Loaded Breakfast Burger presented by WONE Spatz & Amanda is a half-pound breakfast sandwich.
- Emmett’s Big Bangin’ BBQ Brisket presented by ESPN Cleveland is a half-pound pulled brisket sandwich.
- The Boot Scootin’ Boozy presented by WQMX is a vodka lemonade and the first drink to join the extreme lineup.
“The Extreme Food Menu began in 2011 and has become synonymous with the Akron RubberDucks ballpark experience,” Pfander said. “And we can’t wait for the fans to tempt their tastebuds with the new and classic items available at Canal Park.”
Canal Park baseball stadium is located at 300 S. Main St. in downtown Akron. RubberDucks tickets are available online, or by calling 855-97-QUACK or 330-253-5151.
A ticket is required for any attendee older than three, or anyone three and under who requires a seat. Visit the RubberDucks website for more information.