Wieners winning over fans
‘Pawtucket Hot Wieners’ gear is grabbing fan attention with spicy fashion statement
PAWTUCKET – A phone call was received this week by the Pawtucket Red Sox team store, a call from a longtime fan who dials it in every year, like clockwork, to place an order for the Stars & Stripes on-field cap that clubs like the PawSox wear to celebrate Independence Day.
As this unnamed fan submitted the annual request to Brooke Coderre, PawSox director of marketing and merchandising, a burning question that sounds like he couldn’t wait to get off his chest was posed to her.
“‘What’s going on with this hot wieners thing?’” Coderre recalled the man asked, in an unmistakably skeptical tone. “Clearly,” she said, “he wasn’t a fan of it, at first.” Coderre explained that for one night on Thursday, Aug. 16, the PawSox will take the field at McCoy Stadium as the Pawtucket Hot Wieners. A Woonsocket native, and someone who’s well acquainted with the Woonsocket-based New York Lunch, one of the area’s most venerable wiener establishments, Coderre educated this particular customer with a little bit of history on the hot wiener’s role in Rhode Island’s culinary scene, and how quickly the team was selling off caps and other merchandise with the logo. In no time flat, this patron of PawSox gear was sold on the craze that’s kept Coderre on her toes. “Before hanging up, he said, ‘Okay, make sure you save me a jersey and a hat in my size,’” Coderre said. “That was fun.”
From jerseys to t-shirts to polo shirts to sweatshirts to caps – the options are onfield fitted, adjustable, and flex fit – that are available for men, women, youth, and toddlers, there’s no shortage of baseball-themed swag with Pawtucket Hot Wieners emblazoned on it. Right now, demand is far exceeding supply and that’s pretty much been the case since the grand unveiling the night of June 23. The very next morning when Coderre checked the overnight order transition log, she was pleasantly surprised to find 50 orders for Hot Wieners paraphernalia. That same day – June 24 – McCoy’s in-house merchandise shop was completely stocked with a wide variety of Hot Wieners attire. It was clear the people liked what they saw – orders started queuing up faster than a New York System cook can line up a dozen wieners on his left arm. From June 24 through July 2, the PawSox received 500 online orders spanning 37 states for this ode to a unique food delicacy. A lot of the online orders have included a gift receipt where the purchaser leaves a message. The most common according to Coderre has been, “Hope this makes you think of home.” “We’ve seen, ‘I’m getting this for my cousin in California who used to live in Rhode Island,’” she said. “I think that’s really special.” Sales have been so good that Coderre had to denote some online items as out of stock, though that’s only temporary. A fresh shipment was expected to arrive at McCoy on Thursday. If you head to the PawSox team store and don’t happen to see your favorite Hot Wieners apparel, fear not. There’s an order form you can fill out. Expect a phone call once it comes in. “We’re looking to replenish everything,” Coderre said. The idea of minor-league teams going under a different guise for one evening isn’t a new one. From fellow International League members Buffalo, who for obvious reasons became identified as “Buffalo Wings” for a game last month, to the Syracuse Chiefs renamed as “Syracuse Salt Potatoes” to the Rochester Red Wings shifting to “Rochester Garbage Plates,” the template was there for the PawSox to get creative. “We wanted to come up with something that identified with Pawtucket and all of Rhode Island,” Coderre said. Pawtucket isn’t a beach destination, thus that suggestion was quickly struck down. “Pawtucket Del’s Lemonade” or “Pawtucket Coffee Milks” didn’t jive. When the case for hot wieners was presented during a PawSox front-office staff meeting earlier this year, the response was … hot. “It was something that our staff from Rhode Island and not from Rhode Island could get behind. The Rhode Islanders were like, ‘This is awesome! This is going to be a hit!’ Staff members from out of state were, ‘That’s just cool anyway,’” Coderre said. “It proved to be an easy choice.” Several mock drafts were made for the Pawtucket Hot Wieners logo before the sports-marketing company Brandiose brought it to life with an image that resonated on several levels. The primary logo that’s featured on the caps the PawSox players and coaches will don on Aug. 16 depicts a hot wiener done all the way – a popular Rhode Island term. You can see the meat sauce, mustard, and onions. If you look hard enough, you’ll find streaks of celery salt. The accompanying flames speak to the food’s spicy nature – or perhaps the heartburn that ensues after ingesting a few too many? “We were looking for something fun and something that appeals to our fan’s civic pride,” Coderre said. “A lot of times what you’re finding with the minor-league teams is that fans take such pride because it does hit so close to home. They’re going to a game in their backyard. It’s about fun and family entertainment. That’s why we wanted to come up with something that helps us stay true to our roots.” The biggest Pawtucket Hot Wieners seller to date has been the t-shirt that features the primary logo and reads, “All The Way.” Right now, fans who click online have 16 items to choose from. Looking ahead, new Hot Wieners merchandise will be released the same August night when PawSox ballplayers for one game only swap out their traditional game-day uniform tops and caps for Hot Wieners threads. “We’ve been so busy. I don’t think we’ve had a full stock in the team store since that first day,” Coderre said, “but it’s a great problem to have.”