Wahoos Weekly: Wedding Proposal, Shirt Giveaway, Four Fireworks Shows Part Of Wahoos July 4 Weekend

Patrick Morris had traveled from Maine to propose to his girlfriend in Pensacola during the Fourth of July weekend.

He was searching for a creative way to do it.

And then an idea struck Friday night louder than a Eury Perez fastball. Why not right here at Blue Wahoos Stadium? Why not after the game, right before an added fireworks show launched?

“So, it was in the second inning. I thought that would be pretty cool,” Morris said later, after she said yes.  “We went up to (Fan Services) booth on the concourse and you guys (Blue Wahoos staff members) actually made up a plan.

“And I thought, yes, this sounds perfect. And so that’s how we did it.”

The surprise choreography included Blue Wahoos emcee “Downtown Dave” pausing the fans’ countdown to fireworks show for a brief interlude.

With the friends of his soon-to-be finance’ Katie gathered around the home plate area, Morris quickly dropped to one knee and proposed. His girlfriend is stationed in Pensacola as a member of the U.S. Coast Guard.

Now, with the crowd cheering and Katie emotional, embracing her boyfriend, it was another one-of-a-kind moment at Blue Wahoos Stadium.

“It turned out very cool,” Morris said.

That was part of a special night where the outcome of the game – an 8-0 Biscuits win against the Blue Wahoos – was secondary to game experience.

Before the stadium gates opened Friday on July 1, three lines had formed outside the ballpark with people waiting to receive the Giveaway Friday item – a Blue Wahoos decorative Hawaiian shirt, provided by game sponsor Landshark.

When the gates opened at 5:30 p.m., all the shirts were gone in just eight minutes from three different locations.

The massive popularity of the shirts matched a year ago when Landshark also sponsored a shirt giveaway. One of the first couple to receive the shirts arrived at 3 p.m.. Only those ages 21-up received the shirts, due to Landshark being an alcoholic beverage sponsor.

Blue Wahoos season-ticket holders also had preseason option to reserve one. That is part of the perks of being a season ticket holder, as it includes a voucher to guarantee one of the season’s giveaway items that year.

Many of the fans quickly took the shirts, all sized men’s XL, out of the plastic bag and wore the shirts during the game.

It was part of a festive atmosphere that night which included an added fireworks show and the engagement proposal.

Despite rain every day in the week, the Blue Wahoos were able to have games played through Saturday. The series opened June 28 with a 10-5 loss against the Biscuits. The following night, field conditions from a deluge earlier in the day Wednesday made the infield too soft to play a game that night.

The Blue Wahoos took the second game of the series Thursday behind another strong outing from Eury Perez. The teams were scheduled to play a doubleheader on Saturday, if weather permitted, then a series finale on Sunday.

In addition, the stadium is hosting a free watch party on Fourth of July Monday for the Pensacola Sertoma Fireworks Show, which occurs a short distance away on the Bayfront Parkway waterfront. The stadium will open at 6 p.m. so fans can be entertained the Pensacola Symphony concert, sponsored by Peter Mougey of the Levin Papantonio Rafferty Law firm, that will take place at the Hunter Amphitheater behind center field.

WAHOOS NOTABLES

SURPRISE CELEB -- Former Northern Illinois star quarterback Jordan Lynch, who finished third in the 2013 Heisman Trophy balloting and was on the hometown Chicago Bears roster in 2014, was a guest of Mike Fitzpatrick, the Blue Wahoos operations director on the Tuesday, June 28 game. Lynch threw out a ceremonial first pitch after being introduced on the field.

Lynch captivated the college football world for two seasons (2012-13) when passing for more than 6,000 yards and 49 touchdowns.

EURY SHINES – Eury Perez produced his ninth consecutive start Thursday of allowing two or less runs, this time with the most pitches (87) he’s thrown in any start this season, while relishing a lead role in the Pensacola’s 5-1 win June 30 against the Biscuits.

After his start Wednesday was pushed back, then further delayed a couple hours when a scheduled doubleheader was switched to a single-game to enable field conditions to improve, Perez was unfazed as usual.

“I just chilled out and stayed focused,” said Perez, speaking through teammate interpreter Ray-Patrick Didder, who had his own big game with a pair of hits, including a solo homer in the sixth inning.

In five innings of work Thursday, the 19-year-old Perez overcame three walks by getting eight strikeouts and benefitting from some outstanding infield defense.

“The pitcher can’t do everything,” Didder said. “If we can help him get outs, it’s going to be easier on him.”

It was the first time Perez pitched in a blue Pensacola Mullets uniform – the one the Blue Wahoos wear for each Thursday home game– Perez left with a 2-1 lead that his teammates expanded.

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DANCING STARS -- Two of the world renown performers on ABC's Dancing With The Stars, the couple tandem of Daniella Karagach and Pasha Pashkov, attended Friday's game after performing at the Saenger Theater. The two were part of the cast of "Life's A Dance" show on Thursday at the Saenger Theater. The event benefitted Junior Achievement of Northwest Florida.

Both Daniella and Pasha threw out ceremonial first pitches. Pashkov is a Russian born dancer; Karagach was born in New York after her parents immigrated.

FOURTH OF JULY EVENT – On Monday, July 4, there will be free admission to the stadium beginning at 6 p.m. The videoboard and stadium speakers will play the Pensacola Symphony Sparks and Stars performance, presented by Peter Mougey and the Levin Papantonio Raffery Law Firm, which takes place at the Hunter Amphitheater, located beyond the centerfield wall at Community Maritime Park.

There will be games, inflatables, other activities available for children at the stadium. Concession stands will be open. People can sit on blankets on the field or in the chairback seats in the stands.

No strollers, wagons will be permitted on the field and no outside food will be allowed in the stadium. The fireworks show will be the Pensacola Sertoma Fireworks Show from the waterfront at Bayfront Parkway and will be visible from the stadium beginning at 9:00 p.m.

In addition, the Blue Wahoos are offering two upgraded, for-purchase packages on July 4. The right field, Coors Party Deck will offer a $40-per person package that includes hot dogs, hamburgers, coleslaw, baked beans, brownies and free sodas, along with for-purchase alcoholic beverages.

The Hancock-Whitney Club level on the third base side will have a VIP package available for $55, per-person, which includes grilled steak, seafood boil, grilled vegetables, hot dogs and free soft drinks.

A ticket link for both of these upgraded options events is available at www.bluewahoos.com. This is seating and tickets available for both upgraded options, which will allow for viewing of the Pensacola Symphony concert and the fireworks that will be shot from a short distance away at the Pensacola Sertoma Fireworks Show off Bayfront Parkway.

THIS WEEK: After playing Sunday’s homestand finale against the Montgomery Biscuits, the Blue Wahoos were scheduled to travel that night to Pearl, Mississippi, where they begin a road series on Monday, the Fourth of July against the Mississippi Braves at Trustmark Park. The teams will then have Tuesday off, as will the other Southern League teams and other levels of Minor League Baseball. The road series then resumes on Wednesday night and will continue through July 10.

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NEXT HOMESTAND

WHO: Chattanooga Lookouts vs. Blue Wahoos

WHEN: July 12-17

WHERE: Blue Wahoos Stadium

PROMOTIONS: Fireworks nights on Wednesday and Saturday games that week. On Giveaway Friday, team honors long-time WEAR-3 news anchor Sue Straughn with a Bobblehead Night. On Sunday, there will be a team photo giveaway to fans. Saturday, team will be specialty jerseys on Marvel’s Defenders of the Diamond Night.

Bill Vilona is a retired Pensacola News Journal sports columnist and now senior writer for Pensacola Blue Wahoos. He can be reached at bvilona@bluewahoos.com.

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Pensacola Blue Wahoos recap successful fourth of july weekend