A Phillies Minor League Team Is Going to Wear Cat-Covered Jerseys Saturday

The Lakewood BlueClaws, a Phillies affiliate, will wear these jerseys on Saturday. | Image courtesy of Lakewood BlueClaws

In a “salute to cats,” the Lakewood BlueClaws, a Minor League team affiliate of the Phillies, will wear jerseys on Saturday night that have a collage of felines on them. The jerseys, pictured above, look like something you might find at Urban Outfitters or your grandmother’s house. They’re kinda awful, cute and awesome all at once.

Fans at the 7:05 p.m. game against West Virginia Power will be able to buy cat-themed cocktails, and are encouraged to bring their own furry friends along to the stadium. If you carry along Kitty, you’ll have to sign a waiver, pay a $2 dollar “paw pass,” and keep her on a leash or in a case.

FIRST LOOK — BlueClaws CATurday Jerseys for Saturday night! https://t.co/vu5AsTtPCi pic.twitter.com/LEud7kFiBc

— Jersey Shore BlueClaws (@BlueClaws) July 5, 2016

There are also going to be puns at the game. Lots of puns. The event itself is called “Caturday,” and there will be a singing of “Take MEOW Out to the Ballgame.”

“We have a pretty eccentric office over here,” said Kevin Fenstermacher, director of the team’s group sales, who helped come up with the idea to have a cat-themed game. The jerseys are loosely based off of one of Fenstermacher’s cat T-shirts.

While this is the first cat-themed event for the team, it has hosted dog-themed events before (with just as many puns). Each May, the Lakewood BlueClaws host a “Bark in the Park” event, and every Sunday the team has a “Yappy Hour” where fans can bring their dogs to the game.

Even if you’re not a cat person, you might want to attend Saturday’s game: After all, it’s for a good cause. The jerseys will be auctioned off to benefit the BlueClaws charity, which helps fund area nonprofits, according to Fenstermacher. The local SAVE Rescue Shelter of Toms River will also be on hand accepting donations. The group will have cats there who are up for adoption as well.

More information and ticket sales can be found here.