Every Major League Baseball Team's Best Giveaway in 2017

Written by Zeke Perez Jr. 

The MLB season can be gruelingly long. With 81 home games each, baseball teams often have to get creative to continuously draw in crowds. This results in promotions that are geared toward bringing in casual fans and individuals from all walks of life, with everything from 'Star Wars Night' to 'Bring Your Dog to the Ballpark Day'. It also results in a wide variety of awesome/funny/weird/creative giveaways, some of which are baseball-centric, some of which are anything but. Only in baseball will you find a Hello Kitty t-shirt night!
 
While I never need to be coaxed into going to more baseball games, I excitedly await my favorite team’s promotional schedule every season, jotting down the giveaway dates that I need to be at. Over the years, I have collected enough Colorado Rockies bobbleheads to fill a roster of my own, including a Jack Link’s Sasquatch in a Rockies jersey (he could provide some good power hitting on my bobblehead team). Among my other favorites are replicas of the 2007 National League Championship trophy and ring.
 
In planning to add to my collection of MLB giveaway items this year, I looked around the league to see what treasures each of the 30 teams are handing out. Here are the best giveaways from each team for the 2017 MLB season!

• No longer will you have to carry around a multitude of 'K' posters when strikeout machine Robbie Ray pitches. You can now keep track with the Arizona Diamondbacks Robbie Ray strikeout counter.
• Atlanta is leaving Turner Field after 20 years, moving into brand new SunTrust Park. The team is giving away a commemorative Opening Day ticket to honor the new ballpark’s inaugural season.
  • Honorable Mention: The team unveiled a statue of all-time great Hank Aaron outside of their new stadium. Fans will receive a replica of the statue this year.
• The Baltimore Orioles are celebrating their 25th year in Oriole Park at Camden Yards with mini replicas of the beautiful ballpark.
• Throw on his trademark chain and you too can be like Boston Red Sox star Hanley Ramirez. The replica gold chain features Ramirez’s number 13 and 'El Trece'.
• The Chicago Cubs won the 2016 World Series and they’re already winning 2017’s giveaways with a slew of incredible items, most of them championship based. The best item is a championship parade snow globe, where the snow is confetti!
  • Honorable mention(s): Wrigley Field wall mini chalkboard, replica World Series trophy, World Series banner, NL champs pennant, throwback 1908 jersey.
• You can never go wrong with a Star Wars giveaway, and a Stormtrooper bobblehead is a good fit for the white and black clad Chicago White Sox. 

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• Three bobbleheads for the (free) price of one! The Cincinnati Reds are honoring past and present players with a triple bobblehead.
• Stirrups are the epitome of classic baseball style and Cleveland is handing out stirrup style socks.
• When a star player has a distinctive haircut, mustache, or beard, the hair often garners as much fame as the player. Coors Field will be packed with fans sporting the flowing locks of their ace pitcher when the Colorado Rockies hand out 'Jon Gray hair hats'.
• In a fantastic move, the Detroit Tigers are paying homage to the city’s Negro League history with their 15th Annual Negro Leagues Weekend and tribute game. As part of the festivities, the Tigers will be handing out Detroit Stars duffle bags.
• Socks were the gift you never wanted as a kid. The Houston Astros are giving away some stylish striped socks with the team logo that may cause you to rethink that.
  • Honorable Mention: Technically not in the MLB, but this giveaway is very deserving of a shout out. The Astros’ minor league affiliate Fresno Grizzlies (as their alter ego, the Fresno Tacos) are giving away a taco truck bobblehead.
• Kansas City and BBQ are synonymous. At Kaufman Stadium, brisket meets nachos in the Cheesy Corn Brisket-acho. The Kansas City Royals are commemorating their signature ballpark treat with a t-shirt that lays out the blueprint for assembling the delicacy.
  • Honorable Mention: Kansas City is honoring its historic Negro League team with Kansas City Monarchs jerseys.
• After spurring a handful of big comebacks, first in 2000 and again in the 2002 World Series, the Los Angeles Angels’ Rally Monkey has become a La La Land legend. In 2017, the legend lives on. Angels fans can collect two special holiday themed plush Rally Monkeys; one wearing a shark costume during 'Beach Week' and one wearing a Santa suit during 'Christmas in June'.
• The Los Angeles Dodgers are paying tribute to the recently retired legendary team broadcaster Vin Scully with microphone statues. 
• Hula girl dashboard dolls were a popular fixture in cars in the mid-20th century. Over 50 years later, the Miami Marlins are adding a twist: mascot Billy the Marlin is doing the dancing now.
• 'Juuuust a bit outside.' The Milwaukee Brewers are celebrating their longtime play-by-play broadcaster Bob Uecker with a Magic 8-Ball giveaway. The ever-hilarious Uecker is well-known outside of Wisconsin too, thanks in part to his role as announcer Harry Doyle in the Major League movies. The 8-Ball is sure to be chock-full of Uecker’s greatest quips. 

• You won’t have to give up an arm or a leg to get your paws on a Rocket Raccoon bobblehead. The Minnesota Twins are giving one out as part of their Marvel theme night.
• It’s a good year for Marvel superhero giveaways! The best one comes from the New York Mets. Mets’ pitcher Noah Syndergaard earned the nickname 'Thor' thanks to his flowy Norse god-like hair, a photo of him weight training while dressed as the hero, and his Scandinavian last name. Syndergaard and Thor become one in the team’s Thor bobblehead giveaway.
• Maybe it’s just another Star Wars giveaway or maybe the New York Yankees are embracing their role as 'The Evil Empire'. Either way, the team is giving away a Yankees Darth Vader knit cap. 
• What’s better than a bobblehead? An interactive bobblehead! The Oakland A’s are giving away one featuring manager Bob Melvin with a 'career wins' counter in the base. Melvin is currently sitting at 955, so fans will be able to roll it over to the milestone 1,000 as the year goes on.
• No mascot in all of sports is as iconic as the Philadelphia Phillies’ Phillie Phanatic. This year, he’s being immortalized in the form of a solar-powered bobble body.
• In one of the most unique bobblehead giveaways this year, the Pittsburgh Pirates have a singing bobblehead. Italian-Venezuelan catcher Francisco Cervelli’s bobble is dressed to the nines and sings 'That’s Amore'.
  • Honorable Mention: The Bucs strike again with another exceptional bobblehead… or, actually, a bobblechair. It depicts team broadcaster Bob Walk with his headset on, tipping back in his office chair.
• Some of the best theme nights are crossover nights between two teams in a city. Baseball and hockey meet this summer when the St. Louis Cardinals host a crossover night with the St. Louis Blues. Fans will leave with replicas of the Blues-themed batting practice jerseys the Cards will wear.
• You can soak up some sun on the sand with the San Diego Padres beach mat. 

• Buster Posey is a hugger. Posey has been a part of the San Francisco Giants’ three most recent World Series championships and iconic photos have captured him celebrating each one with a big hug for whoever’s on the mound. The Giants are handing out blankets featuring the catcher, arms outstretched, so fans who love the #BusterHugs phenomenon will be able to have an embrace of their own.
  • Honorable Mention: The Giants are handing out Hello Kitty t-shirts, because why not. 
• The Seattle Mariners are pulling off the rare two team bobblehead in a fitting tribute to baseball legend Ichiro Suzuki. Ichiro spent 12 years in Seattle but joined the illustrious 3,000 hit club while in Miami. So when Ichiro and the Marlins come to town, the Mariners are giving out a dual bobblehead to commemorate Ichiro’s biggest milestones with each team. The bobble will feature two Ichiro’s, in Mariners and Marlins jerseys, sharing a base.
• The Tampa Bay Rays are getting in on the superhero fun with their very own comic book! The comic will present the story of the 'Super Rays' and will be given out to kids 14 and under. Getting comics into kids’ hands earns this giveaway some bonus awesome points.
• Dress for the job you want, not the one you have. If you want to be an MLB catcher, you’ll need the Texas Rangers’ Jonathan Lucroy chest protector backpack.
  • Honorable Mention: 'With our powers combined!' The Rangers are giving away Elvis Andrus and Rougned Odor bobblehead on separate nights. Collect both, however, and the two link up for their epic signature high five.
• The Toronto Blue Jays are joining in on the celebration of Canada’s 150th anniversary with a beautiful set of red alternate uniforms they’ll wear throughout the year. The unis are a fan favorite, so the team will be handing out the maple leaf logo caps.
• Ever wanted to grab a cold one with a Wookie? Thanks to the Washington Nationals you can (kind of…) do that with their Chewbacca drink koozie. The folks in D.C. must be in a drinking mood, as they’re also giving away a team-themed Oktoberfest beer stein.