Last week, we posted the annual BlueClaws Staff Build-a-Bushel post, where BlueClaws staff members posted their Bushel packages of choice – mainly, if they were going to get a Bushel package for themselves, which seven games would they pick?

Click here to view a copy of the BlueClaws 2013 promotional schedule (pdf file).

We’ve decided to take this annual exercise a step further, offering a series of prizes for anyone that orders one of these Bushel packages – off the rack. You’ll have to order the package exactly as it appears, meaning, select these exact seven games.

If you do that, order ‘The Greg Giombarrese Bushel,’ for example, you’ll receive the following:

• A Ceremonial Pre-Game Pitch
• A $25 Restaurant Gift Card (subject to availability)
• A Photo on the Field (with the staff member in question)

To order in this regard, you must call Pat Girard at 732-901-7000 ext 196.

We’ve re-printed the list of Build-a-Bushels below the fold for you to read, and added one that was submitted by BlueClaws fan and loyal blog reader, the ToddFather.

Enjoy!

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FanFest, the day that individual game tickets for the 2013 season go on sale for the first time, is coming up on March 2nd (details). That means that fans have until then to lock in the best seats for the best games prior to then (through March 2nd) in a BlueClaws ticket package. So which games should you pick? How would you “build your Bushel?”

First off – take a look at the promotional schedule at BlueClaws.com/promotions. Then pick seven. Which seven? We asked several BlueClaws staffers how they would “build their Bushel,” if they already didn’t have season tickets, of course.

When you have built your bushel, you can then order it online here or call 732-901-7000 option 3.

The answers from our staff are found below the fold.

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Today is President’s Day, situated between Lincoln’s birthday on February 12th and Washington’s on February 22nd. We thought it would be interesting to see what Presidents have birthdays on days the BlueClaws are home this year, and the corresponding promotions (admittedly, you might not think of this as interesting).

April
The BlueClaws have road games on all presidential birthdays in April: Thomas Jefferson (born April 13th), James Buchanan (23rd), Usysses S Grant (27th), and James Monroe (28th).

May
Harry Truman’s birthday (8th) is a BlueClaws off day, while they are home on John F Kennedy’s Birthday (29th). That is one of two Education Day games this year with an 11:05 am first pitch.

June
George H W Bush was born on June 12th, the day the BlueClaws welcome in Cecil Fielder for an autograph signing.

July
Calvin Coolidge is the only President to be born on the 4th of July, when the BlueClaws are in Greensboro. They’re on the road for George W Bush’s birthday (6th). July 11th is John Quincy Adams’ birthday, and the BlueClaws will welcome Dennis Haskins (Mr Belding) of Saved by the Bell fame. The BlueClaws are also home on July 14th (Kids Eat Free), a Sunday and Gerald Ford’s birthday.

August
Of the five presidents born in August, the BlueClaws are home for two of their birthdays this year: Herbert Hoover on August 10th (post-game fireworks) and Benjamin Harrison on August 20th (Senior Day Tuesday). They are not home for the birthdays of Barack Obama (4th), Bill Clinton (19th), and Lyndon Johnson (27th).

September
Should the BlueClaws reach the SAL Championship Series, and should that series go the full five games, game five would take place on September 14th, the day before the lone presidential September birthday – William Howard Taft.

For the full list of BlueClaws promotions that have been released, visit BlueClaws.com/Promotions.

Wing Fling, presented by 105.7 The Hawk, where we find out who has the best chicken wings at the Jersey Shore, returns

Wednesday night at FirstEnergy Park.

Wings will be sold for 50-cents apiece, with restaurants being judged on Best Overall, Hottest, Most Unique, and Fan Favorite. Judges will come from 105.7 The Hawk and you, the fans!

There will also be a wing-eating contest, at which Joel “The Cannon” Podelsky (pictured) is the 5-time defending champion.

Participating Restaurants: Ivy League Bar & Grill, T.G.I. Friday’s, Parker House, Buffalo Wild Wings, The Shore House Bar & Grill, Idle Hour, Tommy’s Coal Fired Pizza, Mad Hatter, Jack & Mike’s Brickhouse

For information about participating in the wing-eating contest or other Wing Fling events, call Kevin at 732-901-7000 extension 115 or email kfenstermacher@blueclaws.com.

Mark Ballas of Dancing With the Stars spent the weekend with the Queen of England at the Epsom Derby, a day chronicled here by People Magazine. He

almost didn’t make it, struggling to find a jacket he was required to wear.

“I ended up finding one 10 minutes before the shop closed,” the ballroom pro, 26, told PEOPLE of his day-long hunt around London for the old-school accessory required for the horse race.

Ballas had been invited to Saturday’s event – for which men are also required to wear tails or “morning jackets” – by former Dancing partner (and season runner-up) Katherine Jenkins, the Welsh opera star who sang the British national anthem for the Queen and the 130,000-strong crowd.

Ballas, who finished second with partner Katherine Jenkins on the most recent season of Dancing With the Stars, will sign autographs at Wednesday night’s BlueClaws game.

With Opening Day coming up just 16 days from now (which is unrelated to the title of this post), we wanted to share with you the prizes we are giving out as part of the 12-12-12 promotion leading into the start of our 12th season.

For those that do not know, you can just email radio@blueclaws.com to be entered. Include your name, phone number, and age bracket (child [under-12], adult, senior). We’ll pick the winners, 12 of them, next Thursday, April 5th. What do the winners win? One of the following prizes:

• First Tacos from Surf Taco
• First Pizza from Charlie’s Pizza
• Participation in “Mini Manager”
• Announcing “Play Ball” over the PA
• Being the Honorary Bat Boy
• Ceremonial First Pitch
• Press Box Suite for Game
• FREE BlueClaws Jersey
• Unlock the Gates With Buster, Players
• Appearance on the Radio
• PA Announcer for a Half-Inning
• Announce Attendance and How Close Team is to 5-Million Fans

12 prizes. April 12th. Starting our 12th season. 12-12-12.

More here.

As we announced earlier today, BlueClaws FanFest is on March 17th, the first day fans can order individual game tickets for the 2012 season. That means that fans have until then to lock in the best seats for the best games prior to then (through March 16th) in a BlueClaws ticket package. So which games should you pick? How would you “build your Bushel?”

First off – take a look at the promotional schedule at BlueClaws.com/promotions. Then pick seven. Which seven? We asked several BlueClaws staffers how they would “build their Bushel,” if they already didn’t have season tickets, of course.

When you have built your bushel, you can then order it online here or call 732-901-7000 option 3.

Feel free to leave your comments below. On with the picks!

Greg Giombarrese (Media/PR Manager & Your Favorite BlueClaws Blogger / Radio Guy)

• April 12th, Opening Day – Kicking off your personal season at any other day besides this one is offensive to the baseball gods.
• May 27th, Fireworks – Memorial Day weekend is a great baseball weekend.
• July 13th, Fireworks – Because the BlueClaws are 7-2 on Friday the 13th!
• July 14th, Vance Worley Bobblehead Giveaway – Many will pick this because you can get a player’s bobblehead wearing glasses, but to me, the 60 minutes of The Snakes in the WRAT Trap for Irish Heritage Night makes the night a big win no matter what.
• July 28th, BruceClaws – Summer, Springsteen, Baseball. In no particular order.
• August 9th, Mickey Morandini XL T-Shirts – Threw in a summer Thirsty Thursday.
• August 22nd, Giveaway TBD – I like surprises.

Zack Rosenberg (Director of Sponsorship)

• April 12th, Opening Day – Can’t miss the kickoff to another awesome season.
• May 12th, Bark in the Park – It’s always more fun to play with other people’s dogs rather than having to clean up after your own.
• June 14th, Phillie Phanatic – Best hip shuffle in the biz!
• June 16th, Bret Hart Appearance – Awesome name from my childhood and huge name in the wrestling world. Maybe I’ll be the lucky one to get the shades!
• July 14th, Vance Worley Bobbleheads – Four Words: glasses on a bobblehead.
• August 8th, ZOOperstars – Got to find out if the new additions have a funnier name than Yak Rosenberg.
• August 31st, Fireworks – Best show on the Shore.

Hal Hansen (Director, Promotions)

• April 14th, Knit Winter Hats – These knit hats are going to be fantastic, with pom-poms on the top and everything.  A must-have giveaway in 2012.  And it’s Buster’s Birthday so there will be 12-15 silly mascots running around too!
• April 26th, Jim Kaat autograph signing – Supposedly Jim is one of the nicest guys in baseball and I’m excited to bring in such a quality former player and broadcaster.  I think our fans will really enjoy meeting him.
• June 5th, “Carl Spackler” Bucket Hat giveaway – Golf night has always been among my favorite nights but now it is even better.  You know the camouflage hat Bill Murray wore in Caddyshack?  Imagine getting one of those with a BlueClaws logo on the front and wearing it the next time you play golf with your buddies.  Yup, see you there.
• June 7th, Concert Ticket Extravaganza – This is easily one of my favorite nights of the season.  We’ll have and upwards of 18-20 sets of concert tickets from a bunch of local music venues, to be given away throughout the night.  A lot of big artists are on the road this summer so who knows who you could wind up seeing by winning tickets here that night.
• June 25th, Christie Rampone bobbleheads – I am honored to be able to run with this promotion, paying tribute to one of the greatest athletes to come from the Jersey Shore area.  With the 2012 Summer Olympics starting just a couple of weeks later, this is sure to be a memorable night.
• July 29th, The 30^th Anniversary Celebration of E.T. – It is one of the most beloved movies of all time, by people of all ages, and I can’t wait to have some fun with this.  The Goonies celebration from 2010 was a lot of fun and I look forward to adding the same enjoyment to this E.T. tribute.  Reese’s Pieces, potted flowers, Speak & Spells, music, memorable clips, etc.  It is going to be a great night.
• September 3rd, Fan Appreciation Day – I love when the season ends on Labor Day Monday.  Daytime baseball, players at the gates and traditional BlueClaws Family Photo on the field after the game.  It is always a great atmosphere and celebration of another fun season in the books.

Mike Van Hise (Director, New Client Development)

• April 12th, Opening Day – Regardless where and when, Opening Day of baseball season is a National holiday.
• May 27th, Fireworks – Memorial Day Fireworks, and we might have off the next day {crossing fingers}.
• June 14th, Phillie Phanatic – The greatest mascot in the long and storied history of mascoting.
• June 30th, Doc Gooden Appearance – Finally get to meet one of my childhood heroes, Dr. K.
• July 14th, Irish Heritage Night – One of the cooler nights of the year, celebrating my heritage. Thanks for having me.
• August 21st, Bobblection – Having a B.A. in Political Science, I know we could probably save the country a lot of money and decide the election this way.
• August 25th, Fall Sports Ticket Extravaganza – After being forced to watch the Mets all season, it’ll be nice to see a game where my team might win.

Brandon Marano (Assistant General Manager)

• April 12th, Opening Night – You have to come to Opening Night!
• May 12th, Bark in the Park – My dogs would have an outstanding time meeting new friends.
• June 16th, Bret Hart Appearance – One of the greatest wrestlers of all-time.
• June 30th, Doc Gooden Appearance – Well, it’s Doc Gooden!
• July 3rd, Fireworks – Nothing like celebrating the 4th of July a day early!
• August 21st, Bobblection – We will determine who will be the next president of the United States right here in Lakewood.
• August 25th, Fall Sports Ticket Extravaganza – It’s something new, and any sports fanatic would want to participate in this.

Ross Pibal (Director of Premium Seating)

• April 12th, Opening Day
• April 27th, Fireworks
• May 12th, Bark in the Park
• June 14th, Military Appreciation Night, Phillie Phanatic
• July 14th, Vance Worley Bobblehead Giveaway
• August 23rd, Clothes Hamper Giveaway
• September 3rd, Fan Appreciation Day, Dollar Item Blowout

Opening Day and the last day are just tradition. Mixed in between are games against my future Colorado Rockies, Fireworks, Military Night, Phillie Phanatic, Bark in the Park, Vance Worley Bobblhead, and a clothes hamper giveaway to replace my broken one.

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Today, the BlueClaws announced the bobblehead giveaways (click here) and autograph signers (purchase cialis onlineticle.jsp?ymd=20120214&content_id=26681872&vkey=news_t427&fext=.jsp&sid=t427″>click here) for 2012, a great list put together by BlueClaws Director of Promotions Hal Hansen.

If you click below the fold, you’ll see the full lists with details and notes. Click here to download a pdf version of the promotional schedule.

Meanwhile, we sat down with Hal for another ClawCast about the promo schedule.

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The BlueClaws released the first round of 2012 promotions earlier today. Click here for the full story and click here to download a pdf version of the schedule from BlueClaws.com.

We wanted to sit down and get a behind-the-scenes look at the process and the promo schedule so  we recorded this ClawCast with BlueClaws Director of Promotions Hal Hansen.

Click here to download the file (save link as and then you can listen on your computer or drag it into iTunes and listen on your iPod).

Some of our favorites?
June 5th’s Carl Spackler Bucket Hats
July 28th’s BruceClaws Night
July 29th’s ET 30th Anniversary Celebration

The ZOOperstars will be back in Lakewood entertaining fans at the BlueClaws game on Wednesday night in Lakewood.

We’ll have the following on Wednesday: Harry Canary, Shark McGwire, Squidney Crosby, Dick Flytale, Manatee Ramirez, Ichiroach Suzuki, and Ken Giraffey, Jr.

If you missed it yesterday on our Facebook page, we had a little contest where we asked fans to “ZOOperstar” current BlueClaws or Phillies. Some of the better ones? Flamingo Santana, Shane VictorEmu, Cole Camels, Ryan HowArdvark, Roy Oswalrus, and Placido Koalanco.

Good job by our Facebook fans.

We have some really cool news…

Next Saturday, July 23rd, the BlueClaws will welcome Burt Young, who played Paulie in the Rocky series, to the ballpark for an autograph signing. That night, the BlueClaws will also honor Lakewood Officer Christopher Matlosz, who was killed in the line of duty in January. $3 from each ticket purchased will go to Holding Onto Hope, a charity established by Matlosz’s finace.

Young, meanwhile, who is now an accomplished painter, will paint an exclusive baseball-themed picture which will be raffled off during the game.

All proceeds from the raffle will go straight to Holding Onto Hope.

Young will also sign autographs and pose for pictures at the game.

Here is his official website and here is the full story on the Officer Matlosz fundraiser for next Saturday.

The BlueClaws are back on Thursday night for a seven-game homestand against West Virginia and Hagerstown. Below, find the promo rundown for the seven-games (all at 7:05 except for a 4:05 start on Sunday):

Thursday: Reusable tote bag giveaway for the first 2,000 fans 18 & older thanks to NJ Resources, Thirsty Thursday.

Friday: Post-game fireworks thanks to Toyota/Scion World of Lakewood

Saturday: Autograph signing with the Iron Sheik & Nickolai Volkoff (WWE wrestlers), Law Enforcement Night with pre-game presentation of the first Fallen Officer Jason Marles #271 DWI Award.

Sunday: Post-game father/child catch on the field, Kids Expo, Kids Eat Free and a Kids Character Sunday.

Monday: Pre-game autograph night (get here early as we’ll line the whole team up on the field before the game-the gates will open at 5:45), Kids Eat Free

Tuesday: Golf Night (we’ll have set-ups in front of the ballpark from golf courses), plus Seniors Eat Free

Wednesday: BlueClaws hat giveaway and Dollar Dog Wednesday

Here is the order tickets link or call 732-901-7000 option 2.

First up, tote bags on June 9th thanks to New Jersey Resources:

And on June 15th, these BlueClaws hats thanks to Home Depot:

See you then.