The High-A Jersey Shore BlueClaws and Hudson Valley Renegades, High-A teams in the South Atlantic League, will play three games this summer as the Locals and Bennys, with logos designed by Brandiose. The home team BlueClaws will take on the role of the Locals, represented by a grumpy puffer fish paddling a paddle board and wishing that the area Wawa were not overrun by tourists. The Renegades will play as the Bennys, with a pigeon representing the out-of-towners from North Jersey and New York who overtake the shore town of Lakewood, New Jersey, every summer, complete with souvenir T-shirt and rolling beer cooler.
There are a few possible explanations for the origins of “Bennys,” a pejorative term that locals use to describe vacationers. The first is that it derives from the first letter of stops on the train that brought visitors to the shore—Bayonne, Elizabeth, Newark, and New York. Another is that it refers to Benjamin Franklin, who appears on the US $100 bill, since the tourists have historically been considered wealthy New Yorkers. Yet another possible origin is that it’s a nickname for therapeutic trips called “beneficials” that doctors would send patients on for relaxation in the early 20th century.
“No matter the exact origin of the term, it is clear that tourism plays a large part in the identity of the Jersey Shore,” said BlueClaws General Manager Bob McLane, quoted on the team’s website. “From the beaches to the boardwalks to boating and fishing to the parks to the restaurants to the nightlife, and so much more, we are going to celebrate all of that at these three games in a fun way, fitting of Minor League Baseball!”
The Locals and Bennys will play Friday, June 20, Saturday, July 19, and Thursday, August 21. The jerseys will be auctioned off to benefit charities selected by both teams after the August game.
