The New York Yankees Class A Short Season team will host a night inspired by the NBC comedy, featuring a visit from actor Leslie David Baker.
Pretzel Day is coming to New York.
The Staten Island Yankees announced on Wednesday that they will host a night themed around the popular NBC comedy series, “The Office.” The event will go down on Aug. 1 at Richmond County Bank Ballpark at St. George as the Yankees take on the Mahoning Valley Scrappers.
Leslie David Baker — who portrayed the character Stanley Hudson — will make an appearance and throw out the first pitch.
A regular $30 ticket package to the game includes access to a meet-and-greet with Baker, as well as a shirt with a crossword puzzle theme (echoing a favorite activity of the Stanley character). For $80, fans can receive suite access and a VIP meet-and-greet prior to the game.
Minor League Baseball teams across the nation have often paid homage to “The Office.” This will be the first time that the Class A Short Season affiliate of the New York Yankees has done so.
Staten Island has previously made headlines with their promotions appealing to television audiences. In 2015, the team hosted a night based on the HBO series “Game of Thrones.” Franchise creator George R.R. Martin was on hand and likewise made the ceremonial first throw.
“The Office” is based on the British sitcom of the same name and aired from 2005 through 2013. NBC’s series followed the basic premise of a documentary crew following the everyday happenings of a struggling paper company. The American version took place in Scranton, Pennsylvania (home of the Yankees’ Triple-A affiliate, the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders).
Running for nine seasons, the series became known for its awkward yet wholesome humor. It later became renowned for launching the careers of actors Steve Carell, John Krasinski, Craig Robinson, Ed Helms, and Mindy Kaling, among others.
Stanley was a curmudgeonly salesman who frequently butted heads with easy-going manager Michael Scott (Carell). He was known for his love of free pretzels and crossword puzzles. Baker appeared in all but one of the series’ 201 episodes.
“The Office”-themed festivities are only one of the big promotions Staten Island has planned for this season. On Sept. 3, the team will be giving away miniature trash cans when they play the Tri-City ValleyCats. The giveaway is a joking reference to Tri-City’s parent organization, the Houston Astros, who stole opponents’ signs using trash cans as a signaling device en route to their 2017 World Series title.
Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags
