Baseball Team Renames Itself After Salad Dressing

Baseball and salad dressing aren't ordinarily two things I'd pair together in a sentence, but the world is a magical place. A minor league baseball team in Akron, Ohio known as the Akron RubberDucks (which is already a great name) will be renaming itself after a salad dressing on July 19 for one night only.

No, this isn't some Hidden Valley Ranch stunt. Cleveland.com reports that the RubberDucks will temporarily be known as—drumroll please—the Akron White French. This unconventional move is part of an promotional rollout called Only in Akron, a series of events meant to celebrate unique aspects of Akron. And that includes this salad dressing.

If this is the first time you're hearing of white French dressing, I'm right there with you. It's a local specialty served in Akron restaurants, and according to this recipe published in the Akron Beacon Journal from the publication's former food writer Jane Snow, it's a mayonnaise-based dressing.

The remaining ingredients are pretty simple: Dijon mustard, grated onion, distilled white vinegar, and a touch of sugar. The trick is to let the dressing sit overnight to develop its flavor.

Other recipes I've found are almost if not exactly the same. So, no, this doesn't seem to be related to the sweet orange French dressing you see at salad bars. It's simple enough that I'm tempted to make some myself, especially since it can be applied to pretty much anything. If you want to buy it in bottled form, an Akron company called Ya Ya sells its own version, and it's available online.

Of course, there's also merch. The Akron RubberDucks have shirts with the one-night logo imprinted on them, if you'd like to commemorate this momentous occasion before summer rolls in. Ticket packages are available now, which include hats—but the dressing won't be included. You'll just have to sneak some into the ballpark on your own.