The Southern Maryland Blue Crabs (independent; Atlantic League) have altered plans to give away 1,000 hermit crabs on Opening Day after fan protests.
The original plan was to give away a live hermit crab and terrarium container at the gate, but after protests from fans who question whether those crabs will receive adequate care, the team instead is looking at handing out vouchers instead. From My Fox DC:
“We’re going to probably do a voucher system because we don’t want people walking around with 1,000 crabs during the game, so we’ll probably hand out vouchers and understand what people’s intentions are before they get them when they leave the game that night,” said Patrick Day, the team’s general manager.
“We’re going to make sure that these things get in the hands of people that care about them,” Day added.
The Blue Crabs are going nautical for Opening Day. The team is putting together a slew of nautical-themed promotions, including the introduction of the entire Blue Crabs roster as players are brought onto the field in luxury sport boats. Fans will also have a chance to win nautically inspired giveaways throughout the night to celebrate the start of a new baseball season. The theme: “Anchors Away on Opening Day.”