On the Road: Keeping It Simple in Mississippi
To see all posts from my August 2, 2015 visit to the Mississippi Braves (this is Part Three) click HERE. To see all of the posts from my July/August 2015 trip through the Deep South, click HERE. To see ALL of my “On the Road” posts (going back to 2010), click HERE.
2015 “On the Road” landing page HERE!
This is Steven Ericson, a geography professor at the University of Alabama and a big fan of Minor League Baseball.
I had known Steven for several years in the virtual realm, through Twitter (@geoSteven) as well as his baseball-centric “My Geography Lessons” blog. But it wasn’t until this August afternoon at TrustMark Park that I met him in physical form. He had made the trip from Tuscaloosa, Alabama to Pearl, Mississippi to serve as my designated eater (you know, the individual who consumes the ballpark cuisine that my gluten-free diet prohibits).
When it comes to concessions, the Mississippi Braves take an “only the basics” approach. In previous seasons they’d experimented with regional items like catfish sandwiches, but they didn’t sell well enough to justify the effort. So what Steven and I were left with on this scorching Sunday afternoon was an array of the familiar — hot dogs, burgers, pizza (from Domino’s) and the like.
After much gnashing of teeth regarding how to make a bland situation interesting, we simply decided to take a “If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em” approach. Steven, therefore, ordered a hot dog ($3) and topped it with Heinz yellow mustard. He didn’t do a very good job in making it look appetizing, however. I was like “C’mon, dude. This hot dog is gonna appear on the internet!”
Before sitting down to enjoy his hot dog, Steven and I had our photos taken at the iSnap machine installed on the concourse.
Designated eater checks in, Mississippi Braves #MBravesiSnaphttp://t.co/VoQfPpSlEUpic.twitter.com/fjI87ApL7I
— Benjamin Hill (@bensbiz) August 2, 2015
Steven has at it:
Designated Eater checks in (again), M-Braves https://t.co/DGVER8LpjF
— Benjamin Hill (@bensbiz) August 2, 2015
The quote that I have from Steven regarding his hot dog-eating experience doesn’t really make sense. Maybe I wrote it down wrong.
“It’s average,” he said. “A slice of Americana encased in Americana by enjoying a hot dog at a baseball game. But, yeah, it’s just a hot dog.”
As mentioned in the above Vine video, Steven had obtained an Oxford Brewing Company “Sorority Blonde Ale” along with his hot dog. I didn’t take a picture of it, but I did take a picture of Steven taking a picture of it. He was going to post his photo on Untappd, an app presumably named by a drunk person.
“It’s very smooth and mellow, a very tasty beer,” said Steven, of the Sorority Blonde Ale. “But it’s not as good as Hipster Repellent IPA.”
Hipster Repellent IPA: a thing that exists.
A hot dog does not a blog post make — I have a crocheted saying to this effect hanging in my bedroom — so Steven and I headed back to the concession stands. The stand offering nachos in a full-size helmet was already closed, or “Na-closed,” as it were, so he opted for a gyro. That’s pretty unique, right? A gyro at a baseball game? We were trying our best.
Steven, eating a gyro while standing alone on concrete.
Uh, that’s boring. Steven, how about you sing about your gyro to the tune of “Wind Beneath My Wings”?
I bet Midler never thought her work would be plagiarized like this… https://t.co/IDPmBMPcpN
— Benjamin Hill (@bensbiz) August 3, 2015
“It’s really warm. Good. Hot,” said Steven, hopefully referring to the gyro. “A mix of lamb and fresh provolone cheese. It kind of tastes like a Philly cheesesteak in a pita.”
I, meanwhile, took the opportunity to purchase an M-Braves collector’s cup. I did this to placate the #cupdate fiends out there, who harbor an unceasing desire to gaze upon images such as these.
While Steven and I didn’t have too much to talk about on the food side of things, we did engage in an interesting discussion about the field of geography and how it relates to Minor League Baseball. After a while, I had a realization: Why not turn this conversation into an MiLB.com story? So I took out my phone, hit record on the voice memo, and conducted a formal interview. THIS was the result.
Steven Ericson, Mississippi Braves designated eater turned MiLB.com superstar. It could happen to you, it could happen to anyone. Life is unpredictable.
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benjamin.hill@mlb.com
twitter.com/bensbiz
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Ben's Biz Blog 
Sorry my mustard skills failed you Ben. I’ll work on them in case I get the call to be a “DE” in the future. #Americana