Carlos Danger Night? Carolina Mudcats say bring your mustache

Anthony Weiner, running in New York's mayoral race, makes his way up New York's Avenue of the Americas as he takes part in the Dominican Day Parade on Sunday.

By David Zucchino

Aug. 12, 2013 3:10 PM PT

DURHAM, N.C. - The infamy of Carlos Danger has extended all the way to the lower rungs of baseball’s minor leagues.

Carlos Danger is, of course, the doppelganger used by former U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner, a New York Democrat, while he was sending lurid photos of his anatomy to women he barely knew.

On Thursday, the Carolina Mudcats of Zebulon, N.C., will present Carlos Danger Night. Anyone with a mustache, real or fake, will get a discounted $5 box seat ticket and become eligible to compete for prizes for best mustache.

OK, so Weiner doesn’t wear a mustache. Not an obstacle.

Aaron Bayles, the Mudcats’ promotion man, says it’s easy to connect the mustache worn by team mascot Muddy the Mudcat (he’s a catfish, basically) to Carlos Danger. Bayles points out that Carlos Danger, or at least the Carlos Danger character spoofed by comedian Jimmy Fallon, wears a bushy mustache.

Also, “catfish” is Internet slang for anybody who creates a false identity on social media - particularly while prowling for online romance.

Thus Bayles and other Mudcats staffers will wear fake mustaches for Thursday’s game against the Myrtle Beach Pelicans. And any fan with a mustache, real or fake, can have his or her photo taken and possibly displayed on the video board at the team’s stadium.

Bayles, director of game productions and creative services, said he got the inspiration for Carlos Danger Night while listening to another unsavory character: shock jock Howard Stern, who has offered his own riffs on Weiner.

“It’s intended to be funny and give everyone a laugh,” Bayles said. “Reality has nothing to do with it.”

Thursday is also Thirsty Thursday at the ballpark, with $2 beer. The Mudcats, a Cleveland Indians farm team, average nearly 3,500 fans a game, impressive for a Class A-Advanced franchise.

Previous Mudcats promotions have been more prosaic: dollar dog night, kids run the bases day, Mudcat fishing hat giveaway.

There are no plans to emulate the Richmond Flying Squirrels minor league team in Virginia, which sold $1 hot dogs on Salute to Scandal night Aug. 1. Fans were encouraged to take photos of their “weiners” and tweet them.

“We don’t want any sexual innuendo,” Bayles said. “We promote a family atmosphere.”

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Twitter: @davidzucchino