The throwback night craze in Minor League Baseball has caught on in Winston-Salem, where the Winston-Salem Dash (High A; Carolina League) will once again take the field as the Warthogs.
While there have long been variations of throwback or turn-back-the-clock nights in the minors, the past few seasons have seen a steady influx of teams regularly schedule the promotion, something that has been covered in past editions of Promotions Watch. In some cases it is an annual offering from teams, while others plan the event on a weekly or semi-regular basis.
The promotion has taken in off in Winston-Salem. On two previous Throwback Thursdays this season, the team has donned a black jersey with “HOGS” in red on the front, while bringing back former Warthogs mascot Wally.
On July 14, the Dash will host the final Throwback Thursday of this season. As with the previous installments, the team will wear black jerseys with Wally on hand, and Warthogs merchandise will be available at the team store. As an added bonus, the first 1,500 fans in attendance will receive the second of two Warthogs can koozies. That giveaway is timed perfectly, considering Thursday is another Lowes Foods Thirsty Thursday, in which select beers are available for only $1 through the seventh inning.
The Dash were known as the Warthogs from 1995-2008, an era that produced eight major league All-Stars, including infielder Aaron Boone, left-handed pitcher Gio Gonzalez and outfielder Carlos Lee. For their entire run, the Warthogs played at Ernie Shore Field, which the Dash left for BB&T Ballpark following the 2009 season.
Since their new ballpark opened, the Dash have been very successful–in fact, the ballpark is expected to welcome its two millionth fan on Wednesday, just weeks after winning our Best of the Ballparks 2016, High-A contest. What Winston-Salem’s Throwback Thursday shows is that even as the team thrives in a modern environment, a little bit of nostalgia is still appreciated by the fans.