We’ll have a new attraction at CHS Field, home of the St. Paul Saints (independent; American Association), as the team adds Monument Pork to honor past porcine mascots and will celebrate the new attraction with a three-headed bobblepig.
You know, there are already a lot of words in this story that you never expected to type when you entered the journalism profession — porcine mascots, bobblepig, Monument Pork, Little Red Porkette — but that seems to be the way of the Saints, who continue to push the boundaries when it comes to promotions. And this is a good one, so we’ll pass along the team’s press release:
The New York Yankees have Monument Park. The St. Paul Saints will now have Monument Pork. In an ode to one of the most iconic live mascots in all of baseball the organization is honoring three of the most deserving four-legged swines in franchise history. In addition to the unveiling of this special area, the Saints are giving away a unique triple bobblehead commemorating the three little pigs.
On Tuesday, May 22 The Saint (1993), Notorious P.I.G. a.k.a. Piggy Smalls (2003) and Little Red Porkette (2016) will receive the inaugural honors of having their memories live on forever with the first ever plaques placed in Monument Pork. The Monument will be built adjacent to The Gallery, which is located behind home plate on the concourse. Each pig will receive its own plaque with its name, a description of their time with the Saints, and the year in which they were the mascot. Above the plaque will be a circle in Saints colors with the bronzed likeness of the swine.
To commemorate the event the first 1,500 fans in attendance will receive a one-of-a-kind triple bobblehead featuring all three pigs. The three heads will appear on individual pillars, like those of Greek God statues, with their names and the year they served as the Saints mascot on the bottom of their pillar.
The three pigs were chosen for various reasons. The Saint served as the first ever live pig mascot for the Saints during their inaugural 1993 season. He was actually brought back in 1994, but retired after his very first game of the season. Notorious P.I.G. a.k.a. Piggy Smalls paid tribute to the late Notorious B.I.G. a.k.a Biggie Smalls. The Notorious P.I.G. was the second musical pig (Hammy Davis Jr. in 2000), and first rapper the Saints ever honored. Little Red Porkette was perhaps one of the most popular pig choices in Saints history. After the untimely passing of Prince, the Saints and their fans felt this was the best way to honor one of Minnesota’s own. Little Red Porkette would often wear a purple ruffled shirt in honor of the eccentric dress of Prince.
Each season the Saints have a Name the Pig Contest that receives thousands of entries. That list is narrowed down to the finalists and the Saints staff votes on the top name. During the 25-year history of the Saints, the organization has honored the hot topic of the year, current events, or local celebrities.
The tradition of inducting worthy pigs into Monument Pork will continue in future years.
A pre-game ceremony will take place prior to the 7:05 p.m. game against the Chicago Dogs on Tuesday, May 22.
Photo of Little Red Porkette courtesy St. Paul Saints.