May 4th at the Ballpark: Inside MLB’s Star Wars Obsession

With 81 regular-season home games, MLB teams often look for ways to keep the ballpark experience fresh. When it comes to serving up a home run for fans outside the field, look no further, far, far than the Galaxy. The force is strong in ballparks across the United States.

Star Wars Night is one of the most popular, anticipated annual traditions in Major League Baseball and professional sports leagues. It’s common to see the Mandalorian and Grogu running around the first pitch or R2-D2 in hot pursuit with C-3PO. As the “Imperial March” blares through the stadium speakers, Darth Vader and the Stormtroopers can take the field with the umpires.

This year, 29 of the 30 MLB teams — except Toronto — are hosting a Star Wars Night at one of their home games.

“This is by far our most popular (themed night)” Mike Cosentino, The Milwaukee Brewers‘ Senior Vice President of Sales, said ESPN. “It’s consistently sold out and to give you some context, we have (about) 13 or 14 theme nights per season, like Paw Patrol Day, Naruto night, Sesame Street, and those things have either clothing items or gifts or bobbleheads. We have a Peanuts night that usually collects double the items for a Lucy bobblehead. Vs other theme nights.”

Team executives have noted that Star Wars nights are often strategically placed on nights when low ticket sales are expected, often against non-competitive teams or due to the possibility of preseason sales.

“There are a few themed nights that I would describe as unicorns,” Rachel Heitt, The San Francisco Giants‘ chief marketing officer, told ESPN. “Star Wars is one of them. Hello Kitty is another. It’s a way to drive club ticket sales, it’s an amazing fan experience. We work with our concessionaire to offer Star Wars-themed food and drinks. So, this year, we have blue milkshakes, cosmic chaos dogs and meteor dust popcorn.”

Heit added that a new feature this year will include five Star Wars-themed suits.

D San Diego PadresThose who have run Star Wars Nights since 2015 have had full Star Wars Weekends since 2022 — with bobbleheads like “Obi-Juan Kenobi” Juan Soto In 2023, for “Nando Calrissian”. Fernando Tatis Jr. 2024 and a 2025 offer to keep that Xander Bogaerts In an X-Wing.

Characters, often dozens, flood the stadium concourse, creating photo opportunities for fans of all ages. Some Star Wars Knights have even reached triple digit characters. Much of this work is run by volunteer nonprofit organizations such as local chapters 501st Legion, Saber Guild or Mandalorian Marswhose members suit up in veil-accurate attire for appearances and events.

Heit noted the collaborative nature of Lucasfilm in terms of allowing the use of their intellectual property, providing a brand kit to help the stadium feel like the Death Star or a Rebel base at night, and coming up with merchandise ideas greatly aided the planning process.

Merchandise is often the focus. Teams roll out themed jerseys, shirts and collectible bobbleheads that mix baseball iconography with Star Wars imagery. MLB teams are among the most creative, crossover designs that include putting the Millennium Falcon on top of their stadium or mashing the Death Star and a baseball. Players typically wield lightsaber bats, use the Force to float baseballs, or wear Mandalorian helmets. The Twins turned Joe Mauer in 2018 “Joe Solo” At the head of a cannon, the Millennium Falcon Cincinnati Reds Even put Mr. Redlegs in an X-Wing. Grog A popular Star Wars night bobblehead this year.

“The Grogu bobblehead … sold out about a month before the game,” Cosentino said. “The fans loved it.”

Players often opt for a Star Wars-themed bobblehead because they also love Star Wars. When the Giants are a Logan Webb “Obi-Web Kenobi” Bobblehead Last year, Webb made a few requests for his friends and family.

“Like 50,” Haight said with a laugh.

There are many athletes, including CC Sabathia, who have publicly spoken of their love for Star Wars and Victor Wembanyama. NHL player Adam Gaudet And NASCAR champion Ryan Blaney has a Star Wars tattoo. New York Giants quarterback Jackson Dart In Revenge of the Sith, Anakin wears an eye black inspired by Skywalker’s scar and in January flies the Death Star aboard a Lego X-Wing. projected onto the sphere In Las Vegas.

But it’s not just the athletes and the fans in the stands. Star Wars Night is also awarded to the staff of the team, who create themed graphics, intro videos and transitions for the videoboards. The mascots also regularly get Star Wars-themed makeovers — for New Jersey Devils‘ Star Wars Night this year, the NJ Devil dressed up as Darth Mall.

The true origin of the Star Wars knight in sports remains a mystery. The first instance of Star Wars appearing at a sporting event can probably be traced back to the release of “A New Hope” in 1977. At the time, the Cleveland Force, a Major Indoor Soccer League team, incorporated Darth Vader and Star Wars music to help pump up the crowd. George Lucas would eventually come to terms with the team so they could continue their work.

Fast forward about 30 years and Lake Elsinore stormThe San Diego Padres’ single-A affiliate hosted “Storm Wars” on May 19, 2005, the day “Revenge of the Sith” was released theatrically. It is recognized by some as the first Star Wars-themed night at a sports game. In 2006, the West Michigan Whitecaps, affiliated with the High-A Detroit TigersThe first minor league team to work directly with Lucasfilm to host a Star Wars-themed night.

The first of any Star Wars themed/collectibles was adopted in September 2011 by the San Francisco Giants, the Brian Wilson figure frozen in carbonite. (Lucas sold his production company and the Star Wars franchise to Disney in 2012; ESPN is majority-owned by Disney.)

One of the most notable collaborations came from the NHL Pittsburgh Penguins Farm team in the AHL, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Beginning in 2017, current Lucasfilm chief creative officer Dave Filoni, a Pittsburgh sports fan, designed the “Baby Penns” Star Wars night jerseys for several seasons.

Sports usually play a cameo role in a galaxy far, far away. Poddressing is the most famous example, and the new Disney+ series “Maul: Shadow Lord” just introduced a new Star Wars game called Botekin, which looks like it could take inspiration from lacrosse.

But for all the gimmicks and ideas that have passed through the turnstiles over the decades, Star Wars has endured — turning from a novelty theme night into one of sports’ most recognizable annual traditions. And, like Han Solo completing the Kessel Run (in less than 12 parsecs), there’s no sign of slowing down.