LEXINGTON, S.C. — When Lexington County Blowfish President Bill Shanahan came up with the idea of the “Hooties” jerseys, he called up his good friend Jim Sonefeld, the drummer for the band Hootie and the Blowfish which is the namesake of the Coastal Plain League team based now in Lexington County.
Sonefeld told the rest of the band about the idea and that led to the guys posing for a picture donning the same jerseys which will be worn by the players and coaches for one night. On June 16, when the Catawba Valley All-Stars come to the Lexington County Baseball Stadium, the players and coaches will be wearing the jerseys and will be billed as the “Hooties.
The jerseys will be auctioned off after that game and proceeds will benefit the Lexington Medical Center Foundation. The band wanted to step up its support in this worthy endeavor so that has led to the Hootie and the Blowfish Foundation offering to match up to $10,000 in the silent auction.
But that is just half of a very creative campaign to introduce one-of-a-kind jerseys into the uniform rotation. On June 9 and 10th, the Blowfish will be sporting special jerseys to highlight the various commodities and crops in the area. With backing from Lexington County Farm Bureau, the team will be wearing farming-inspired uniforms which resemble a farmer’s overalls and plaid shirt.
Those jerseys will be auctioned off with proceeds benefitting the Young Farmers programs in Lexington County.
Before these special jerseys are unveiled, there are other games on the docket with Opening Night for the Blowfish set for May 26 against Boone.