Frisco RoughRiders bring back Runner-Up Night after Oscars gaffe

The Frisco RoughRiders are up to some minor league hijinks again. The Texas Rangers’ Double A affiliate is bringing back Runner-Up Night on May 16 at Dr Pepper Ballpark to, as their press release says, “celebrate many of the all-time great second-place finishers from the world of sports and entertainment.”

Of course, this is a nod to the film “La La Land” having its best picture Oscar trophy taken away moments after they were erroneously announced the winner during Sunday’s Academy Awards telecast. Moonlight was correctly awarded the trophy after a couple of cringe-inducing moments.

The Riders runner-up night is scheduled for the second game of the second homestand during the second month of the season. How cute. This is the second consecutive season the Riders have held a “Runner-Up Night.” Last year’s inspiration came after Steve Harvey famously misread the winner during the Miss Universe pageant. In fact, the Riders are already banking on another “major awards flub” with plans to do it again in 2018.

“We all felt La La Land’s pain Sunday night,” RoughRiders executive vice president and general manager Jason Dambach said. “While we can’t win all the time, there is no shame in finishing second, so we’ve once again decided to celebrate the runner-up. And it sure beats third place.”

The club has extended invitations to the cast and crew of La La Land, along with Presidential runner-up (and popular vote winner) Hillary Clinton, Beyoncé (Album of the Year, Grammys), Ryan Blaney (Indy 500), the Atlanta Falcons and the Cleveland Indians. The team is also honoring other famous seconds, such as Miss Columbia Ariadna Gutiérrez Arevalo (Miss Universe), Bill Murray (Second City), Meghan Linsey (The Voice), turkey sandwiches (Thanksgiving) and Thomas Edmund Dewey (Dewey defeats Truman).

Like all RoughRiders home games, fans will have the chance to participate in on-field games. On Runner-Up Night, prizes will be awarded for second place. Other highlights include a search to crown North Texas’ Second-Biggest Movie Buff, Riders players wearing tuxedos in their headshots, Midland players in ball gowns and visiting lineups cut short with “play off” music due to length.

Zing!

For information on single-game tickets, season tickets and other ticket packages visit RidersBaseball.com, call (972) 731-9200 or stop by the RoughRiders Ticket Office.

This story was originally published February 27, 2017 at 5:26 PM with the headline "Frisco RoughRiders bring back Runner-Up Night after Oscars gaffe."