The St. Paul Saints are at it again. Or still?
The Twins minor league affiliate in St. Paul is taking suggestions on what to name their ball pig mascot for the upcoming season, a tradition each year since 1993. The pig has a satchel draped over its back, loaded with baseballs and water, and waddles up to the home plate umpire anytime he needs fresh baseballs or hydration. Any umpire making their first visit to CHS Field must kiss the pig, a tradition dating back to the early years of Midway Stadium.
The Saints’ Sean Aronson is the team's Director of Broadcasting/Media Relations and he says it’s still popular.
"We kind of narrow it down from a list of 1,500, 2,000 to what we think are the best five to ten, and then we discuss it internally and put it to a vote and come up with the best name," Aronson explains.
Many of the names are a play on current events, such as "Alternative Fats" in 2017, or just pork-centric creations, like last year’s "Catcher In The Sty" (the first half of 2024's pig was named Ozempig).
"You still get a lot of people that are like, 'oh, you should name it bacon,' but there's no hook to that, right? So people have really figured out what's going on in the world,"Aronson says. "How can I change that name to make it more pig-like, and it really gives us a number of fantastic options."
The Saints' mascot gets officially named on March 25, three days before the opener against Indianapolis.
Fans can submit an unlimited number of names by going here. One winning name will be chosen for the Saints ball pig in 2025 with the winning entry receiving a $50 Saints gift card, VIP Saints tickets, photos with the pig, a pig meet and greet, and a first pitch at a Saints game.