Growing up in tiny South Haven, Minnesota, my grade-school playground often featured a game of Duck, Duck, Gray Duck. Elsewhere, kids played Duck, Duck, Goose. Which is correct? The St. Paul Saints and Cleburne Railroaders will settle the issue on the diamond at an August 19 promo.
The two independent American Association teams will take on new monikers for the big event: the Saints will change their name for one night to the St. Paul Duck, Duck Gray Ducks, while the Railroaders will become the Cleburne Duck, Duck Goose.
The promotion derives from an April Fool’s Day announcement by the Saints that they’d adopt 50 different monikers during the course of the 2017 season, This, of course, was trolling the practice these days of teams adopting an alternate moniker and brand for a game or two. But the idea caught on in social media, leading the Saints to ask fans what of the alternate 50 names they’d like to actually see implemented. From the team:
The staff narrowed down the list of 50 names to five finalists and fans had the opportunity to vote on the Saints Facebook page from the following five names: St. Paul Duck, Duck Gray Ducks, St. Paul Holy Buckets, Minnesota Nice, St. Paul Gutteral Uff Da’s and Minnesota Cabin Goers. In a landslide, with more than 1,000 “likes,” St. Paul Duck, Duck Gray Ducks outdistanced itself from the other four. Per a fans suggestion the Saints decided to ask the Railroaders if they would change their name to the “Duck, Duck Goose” for a night and a one game rivalry was born. Following the game the two teams will battle it out in an actual game of Duck, Duck Gray Duck (this is Minnesota, so Duck, Duck Goose will not be allowed).
During the August 19 game both teams uniforms will be auctioned off. In addition, fans can purchase t-shirts at the souvenir shop of the five finalists, plus the Duck, Duck Goose team name.