The latest food-based temporary identity comes to us from the Delmarva Shorebirds, who will play a game as the Delmarva Scrapple later this season. Given that the team’s geographic indicator, Delmarva, is a mash-up of three states (Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia) and scrapple is a breakfast specialty with hyper-local appeal, the entire name Delmarva Scrapple might just sound like made-up nonsense to anyone outside the Mid-Atlantic region.
As a displaced native of the Philadelphia area and a frequent visitor to the Jersey shore, I can say with some authority that scrapple is basically all the meat stuff that’s too sketchy to put into hot dogs, processed and formed into a loaf that can be sliced and fried and served on a breakfast sandwich, as seen in the team’s logo.
“We know how much our fans and the people of Delmarva love their scrapple. We are tired of bacon and sausage getting all of the attention, when in reality the Delmarva Peninsula knows that scrapple is the epitome of the perfect breakfast meat and far more superior than bacon or sausage,” said Shorebirds General Manager, Chris Bitters, quoted on MiLB.com. “This promotion will finally give scrapple the national attention it deserves. While some people have strong feelings about scrapple, if scrapple is wrong, we don’t want to be right.”
The Scrapple will take the field August 18 against the Rome Braves, joining other recently announced food- or beverage-based promotional identities the Trenton Pork Roll, Hartford Steamed Burgers, Omaha Runzas, Wisconsin Brats, Binghamton Spiedies, Louisville Mashers, West Virginia Moonshiners, Rochester Hop Bitters, Buffalo Wings, New England Lobster Rolls, San Jose Churros, Reading Whoopies, Brooklyn Bagels, Beer City Bung Hammers, and Staten Island Pizza Rats, to name a few.
