The Charleston RiverDogs (Low A; Sally League) will become the Charleston Boiled Peanuts on July 28, part of a special one-game promotion.
Complete with specialty jerseys, a logo rebrand, and a pregame peanut festival on the concourse, the RiverDogs will take a dip into a steamy pot of Charleston tradition as they celebrate one of the Lowcountry’s famed culinary customs.
Along with embracing the Southern staple, the Saturday night contest against the Greenville Drive will also pay tribute to Anthony Wright, a.k.a. “Tony the Peanut Man,” a longtime ballpark vendor and fan favorite at The Joe, who passed away shortly after the 2016 season.
“The Charleston RiverDogs have been a name synonymous with fun for nearly a quarter century in the Lowcountry,” said RiverDogs President and General Manager Dave Echols. “We knew that if we were going to supplant our long-time namesake for a game, we wanted to choose something that holds significance to our fans and the region and the ‘Boiled Peanuts’ to us does just that. We hope this is a night to celebrate a Charleston tradition and continue to pay tribute to Tony and his family.”
Charleston pays homage to Tony each home game during the seventh-inning stretch when they toss a bag of peanuts into the crowd during “Take Me Out to the Ballgame.” Wright was also the focus of a home contest last season when the Dogs paid tribute on Tony the Peanut Man Night, celebrating the life of a Charleston icon.
The first 1,000 fans at the gates will receive their very own peanut bucket, suitable for tossing aside their boiled peanut shells. Boiled peanuts caps, jerseys, and other merchandise are available for purchase on the RiverDogs’ online merch store and in-person at the Riley Park team store. A portion of the night’s boiled peanut sale proceeds will go towards the Muscular Dystrophy Association. The Peanut Man, Tony’s superhero alter-ego, will also be on hand to help the Dogs celebrate.
More information can be found at boiledpeanutsbaseball.com. Merchandise can be purchased online: tinyurl.com/boiled-peanuts-merch
A staple of Charleston, boiled peanuts trace their roots as a cultural food in the Lowcountry as early as the 19th century. They were declared as the official snack of the state of South Carolina by then Governor Mark Sanford in 2006. Designed by Studio Simon, the Boiled Peanuts logo showcases a laid-back peanut stewing in a boiling pot, complete with Tony’s signature sweetgrass cap.
Minor League food rebrand promotions have become a phenomenon over the last two seasons since the Lehigh Valley IronPigs debuted with a temporary logo featuring bacon in 2014 and the Fresno Grizzlies debuted as the Tacos for a night one season later. Iterations since have ranged from the Albuquerque Green Chile Cheeseburgers, Reading Whoopies, Charlotte Pitmasters, Thunder Pork Roll, and more.