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Cleveland Guardians Double-A Affiliate Adopts Locally Delicious Alternate Identity

LeBron James and Stephen Curry are famous products of Akron, Ohio. So is the cheese salad, apparently.
Jami Leabow|
The Double-A Akron RubberDucks will become the Akron Cheese Salads for a day on July 11.
The Double-A Akron RubberDucks will become the Akron Cheese Salads for a day on July 11. | X/MiLB

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Cleveland Guardians

Basketball stars LeBron James and Stephen Curry were born in Akron, Ohio. So too was rocker Chrissie Hynde. And the late newsman and television personality Hugh Downs.

And don’t forget the Akron cheese salad.

That’s why, on July 11, the Akron RubberDucks – the Double-A affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians – will be reborn as the Akron Cheese Salads for the night. It’s all part of the club’s Only in Akron series.

Just what is a cheese salad? It’s what the name implies: a bed of lettuce garnished with a thick slice of tomato, black olives, radishes and “other salad favorites topped with a mountain of shredded mozzarella cheese,” according to a team news release. It’s a side dish to Akron’s famous pizza and other entrees and commonly found on tables in northeastern Ohio.

“The cheese salad is truly an Akron creation,” RubberDucks president and general manager Jim Pfander said. “Just as the mountain of cheese hides the other parts of the salad to create a surprise in every bite, there is a unique piece of history hidden around every turn in the city of Akron. After the celebration of White French dressing last season, we are excited to continue to showcase more of Akron’s salad history on July 11.”

(For those of us outside of Akron, is the cheese salad typically topped with white French dressing?)

Fans who attend the July 11 game against the Richmond Flying Squirrels can buy a $40 package that includes a ticket and an Akron Cheese Salads adjustable hat.

The Guardians affiliate opens the season April 4 at Richmond (San Francisco Giants affiliate), then starts the home season April 8 against the Altoona Curve (Pittsburgh Pirates).

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Jami Leabow
JAMI LEABOW

Jami Leabow is the managing editor of Minor League Baseball on SI. Her love for the game began when her parents bought season tickets to the then-California Angels.

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