Getting out of the house and going to a baseball stadium with your family is always fun, but what the Inland Empire 66ers are doing for every Wednesday home game of this season gives a whole new meaning to bringing your family to the ballpark. That is because every Wednesday is "Waggin' Wednesday," where you can bring your dogs with you to the game and enjoy the festivities with your favorite four-legged friend right by your side.
Although bringing dogs to the ballpark is not new in the U.S. or around the globe, it is making its return to San Bernardino after a one-season hiatus. The hiatus was not wanted but needed, as the minor league baseball season was canceled due to Covid-19. What was previously ran before the pandemic as "Man's Best Friend Mondays, was rebranded as "Waggin' Wednesdays."
"A couple of people in our office, Mary (Grinnan) who is our promotions director, as well as a couple more people were kinda trying to come up with a different theme and everybody likes to bring their dogs to the ballpark, you know what I mean, dogs are a part of the family so I tried to figure out a couple of different ways to get them involved," 66ers General Manager Joe Hudson said.
Numerous people decided to take the 66ers up on their offer and bring their dogs to the park and the result was some good family fun. All of the dogs stayed leashed and all were friendly. The children were able to chase the foul balls as usual without any interference from the dogs, not that the dogs had any interest in running for a ball anyways, considering they were treated like little kings and queens by anyone that walked by.
Along with the pooches being pampered with free treats and belly rubs all night, the crowd was also treated. The 66ers were able to come away with an 11-5 win over the Visalia Rawhides, including a towering grand slam from star outfielder D'Shawn Knowles. If the big win and tons of runs were not enough, the promotions staff at San Manuel Stadium made the fans' trip out of the house well worth it. Highlights include hot dogs being slung onto the field, a pie face challenge, an Emoji face match game on the big screen, and of course, the 66ers mascot Bernie.
Waggin' Wednesdays are not the only promotions that the team does, in fact, it is just one of six. Tuesday home games are Taco Tuesdays, Thursdays are $4 beers and sodas, Fridays are .50 cent hotdog night, Saturdays they have a fireworks show, and Sundays are Family Funday Sundays. The next Waggin' Wednesday, however, will be on July 21st at 7:05 p.m. against the Lake Elsinore Storm.