The Orioles whipped their fans into a frenzy with this garden gnome promotional give away. I won’t say they overdid it with the marketing campaign, but… yes: the Orioles completely overdid it with marketing the gnome giveaway.

It started with Orioles (and MASN… is there a difference?) social media, spread quickly to the Orioles media members’ personal social media, and eventually got picked up by official MLB social media. After the “grand reveal,” the gnome was everywhere. He was the Flat Stanley of Orioles baseball.

 

  Our own Jabby Burns may have said it best.


And so, fans lined up outside the gates for the second game of a double header – not because the game held the possibility of seeping the Indians (their seventh straight series victory), or that a win would propel the Orioles into first place in the AL East. Nope. All for the gnome.

Look, I’m not against fun. I see that the gnome is a fun giveaway, and a silly way to honor the figure largely associated with bringing good times back to Birdland. I love me some Buck Showalter. But I have had about enough of his miniature alter ego. And the Twitter puns. Oh, the Twitter puns…

But the majority of fans, and players? Couldn’t get enough.

Show the Gnome made an appearance in the dugout, and was even there to welcome Travis Snider back, after his jaw-dropping catch. In short, the gnome was everywhere.

dugoutgnome

gnomekiss

Now, he’s on eBay.

ebaygnome

 

Yup. Some “enthusiastic” gnome owner is hoping to net $100 for something he/she got for free. And I’m not convinced it won’t fetch that price. Ain’t marketing baseball great?

If you were a fan of the gnome antics last night, have no fear: Buck let the cat out of the bag in his presser last night that there will be another gnome night next season. Let the countdown begin…