2019 Major League Baseball Giveaways: Nerdy Edition

Written by Zeke Perez Jr.

Here at Nerds That Geek, we celebrate all things nerdy and all things geeky, as the name would imply. Similarly, the sports world has recently embraced its nerdy side. One of my favorite annual traditions is scouring each of the 30 MLB teams’ promotions calendars to find the best giveaways. Over the years, nerdy giveaways and theme nights have become increasingly popular. Teams have added Star Wars Nights, superhero days, and events celebrating movies, TV, and pop culture in rapidly growing numbers. With this trend, I decided to dive in and look at all the nerdy nights in 2019.
 
29 of the 30 MLB teams are hosting a Star Wars game in 2019 (please join me in booing the Cleveland Indians for being the lone abstainer). As Game of Thrones ramps up for its final season, so too are the celebrations, with 20 MLB teams hosting Game of Thrones nights this year. Scattered around the league are a handful of superhero nights, some Marvel and some more general. A few other fun themes on the books are a WWE Day and bobblehead giveaway (NY Mets, back on April 6), Stranger Things and Pixar fireworks nights (Oakland A’s, June 14 and July 27, respectively), a Seinfeld Night (NY Mets, July 5), and a Zombie Night on Friday the 13th (Toronto Blue Jays, September 13).
 
With the vast majority of teams doing Star Wars and GoT nights, on top of other common pop culture celebrations, it can be hard to separate from a pack. But a handful of teams did just that! Here are some highlights from this year’s slate of geeky theme games.
 
Angels
One of my favorite unofficial mascots and sports icons, the Los Angeles Angels’ rally monkey, is getting the Star Wars treatment on May 24th. Fans attending the team’s Star Wars Night will receive a Wookie rally monkey, decked out in Chewbacca’s bandolier.
 
Astros
If you thought the showdowns in the Battle of Winterfell were great, you’ll need to grab the bobblehead package at the Houston Astros’ Game of Thrones Night. The packages come with a dual bobble - or more aptly a ‘duel’ bobble - featuring both the Night King and Astros outfielder Jake Marisnick with their sword/baseball bat drawn in combat.
 
Cardinals
In my opinion, the Cardinals have one of the best jerseys. The look is iconic, featuring two birds perched on opposite ends of a baseball bat. I assumed it could never be improved upon. I assumed wrong. For their June 5th Star Wars Night, the Cards are offering a jersey ticket package with a beauty of a design: two birds perched on a blue lightsaber. The jersey also features the Rebel’s Alliance Starbird on the left sleeve. The Force is absolutely strong with this one. 

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​Cubs
Over at House Wrigley, the Cubbies commemorated their April 23rd Game of Thrones Night with a special ticket package that included a bobblehead showcasing a dragon perched on the famed Wrigley Field sign.  
 
Nationals
Where’s a more perfect place than the nation’s capital to receive a Captain America-themed bobblehead? The Nats are handing out ‘Captain Zimmerman’ bobbles on May 25th’s Marvel Super Hero Day. The bobble’s design is especially cool, with the team logo emblazoned on Cap’s shield.
 
Rangers
He’s got the horses in the back. On May 30th, the Night King rolls in on a trusty steed, rocking a Texas Rangers cowboy hat. Only on the team’s Game of Thrones bobblehead.
 
The Name Game
One of my favorite things every year is seeing how teams get creative with which players they feature on their Star Wars bobbleheads and, specifically, how they choose to name them. The play on words gets very silly as player names are fused with those of classic characters. Han Solo and Obi-Wan puns are always popular. This year, some Star Wars bobblehead giveaways include: Orlando Arcia/’Orlando’ Calrissian (Brewers, May 4); Max Kepler/Obi-Wan Kepleroni (Twins, June 26), Sean Doolitle/Obi-Sean Kenobi (Nationals, June 26); Rougned Odor/First Odor (Rangers, August 31); and Robinson Cano/Obi-Wan Canobi (Mets, May 25).
 
The 2019 MLB season is chock-full of so many fantastic giveaways beyond what is even listed here. From Spider-Man to Darth Vader and Black Panther to the Stranger Things gang, your local ballpark has it all. The Nerds That Geek team makes an annual pilgrimage to the Colorado Rockies’ Star Wars game, an absolute highlight of our year. Take a look at the promotional schedule for your favorite ballclub and dive into a wacky, fun celebration of your favorite pop culture pastime this summer!

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