The Hartford Bouncing Pickles Will Make Their Debut This Evening
I love businesses with senses of humor, and great marketing. In the world of minor league baseball, the Hartford Yard Goats are doing everything they can think of in order to keep our attention on their team. Tonight, the team will take the field as the Hartford Bouncing Pickles.
Yeah, it's a gimmick, but it's funny. You've heard that Connecticut supposedly has a law that outlaws pickles that don't bounce, right? According to the Connecticut State Library and the Hartford Courant, there's some truth to that. According to an article from the Courant in 1948, two men were arrested by the Connecticut State Police after being accused of serving pickles that were unfit for human consumption to the public. The men had purchased $250,000 worth of cucumbers from local farms, and brought them to a warehouse facility in Ellington to brine them into pickles.
The pickles came out rotton, stinky, and they splatted into pieces when dropped from about a foot off the floor. Good pickles will bounce if they're dropped from one foot. I can't back this up, but I did try to see if a Vlasic dill pickle would bounce from one foot, it didn't.
Anyway, the two men that were arrested faced similar charges from New York State, and the outcome of their case is unknown. What I do know is that I like this gimmick way more than 'The Hartford Steamed Cheeseburgers'. I'd eat dozens of bounceless pickles before I allowed steamed hamburger to get in me.
The Hartford Bouncing Pickles take the field tonight at 7PM at Dunkin' Donuts Park to face the Portland Sea Dogs.