After spending all of 2020 without anyone in the stands at Petco Park, pretty much every professional baseball player at Spring Training will tell it’s been really nice to have real people watching, even in a limited capacity.
“I don’t think you can ever get used to just hearing the crowd noise on the PA system. It’s been a lot of fun this Spring Training getting people back in the stands,” says Padres outfielder Wil Myers. “Every player out here really pulls from the fans and the crowd energy. It brings that extra adrenaline into the game. Getting them back out here in Spring Training, even though it’s only about 2,000, it’s great to hear any type of fans. Some of them are chirping good things, some are chirping bad things. I’d still rather have some people chirping bad things other than just the PA noise.”
Myers won’t be hearing many bad things this season. He was one of the poster people for the Padres reversal of fortune. Coming off a 2019 where almost everything went wrong, he had a career year in 2020 and lived up to his immense natural talent.
Myers is even getting a few more endorsement deals. He’s the new pitchman for Cutwater Spirits, the San Diego-based adult beverage company who came out with Padres-themed Vodka Mule cans last year and is doubling down in 2021.
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“I got a phone call this off-season about potentially working with them and was really excited about it,” says Myers. “I’d tried a few of their drinks, they’re great. I felt like it was the perfect partnership for me. They kind of fit who I am and they’re big Padres fans, which is awesome. It’s great for Padres fans to get behind these guys, as well. The Padres have a great team this year and Cutwater is right behind them promoting people getting out to the games, which I think is awesome.”
That brings us back to the stands. In 2020, the seats were filled with cardboard cutouts. With 20% capacity expected at Petco Park to start the season, Cutwater has come up with another use for the cardboard.
They started their “Cut Out With Cutwater” campaign during the Super Bowl and now they’re bringing it home, giving 150 fans their own cutouts to free them up to enjoy the return of baseball.
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“It’s pretty cool they’re doing the promotion for Opening Day where you can get your own cutout, which I think is awesome,” says Myers. “You can put it in your Zoom call while at work and sneak out to the Padres game, which is pretty sweet.”
And they’re pretty lifelike. Will we perhaps see a Myers cutout in right field at Petco Park on Opening Day?
“I don’t know, I might put one behind the outfield wall just so I can look at it during the game but it will be the real person Wil Myers in right field on Opening Day.”
To enter to win, you just need to tweet #CutOutWithCutwater and #Sweepstakes along with your favorite team (it helps if it’s the Padres). You have until Friday to get it done.
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