Get ready for a scoop of baseball history mixed with a dash of legal absurdity! For the second time, the Binghamton Rumble Ponies are transforming their identity, this time into the Southern Tier Scoop Scoundrels, inspired by one of New York’s most bizarre Blue Laws. This Double-A affiliate of the New York Mets has a knack for turning forgotten legislation into on-field fun, and this season’s twist is no exception. Last year, they trotted out as the Bathtub Donkeys, honoring a law that banned donkeys from sleeping in bathtubs. But here’s where it gets controversial: This year’s inspiration? A law that prohibits carrying an ice cream cone in your back pocket on Sundays. Yes, you read that right. While the law’s origins remain a mystery, theories abound. Some speculate it was an extension of a broader Sunday ice cream ban, while others joke it might have been aimed at foiling horse thieves using ice cream as bait. And this is the part most people miss: Whether or not these theories hold water, the team’s branding is pure gold—a masked ice cream cone sporting an Old West cowboy hat, complete with swooping text adorned with maraschino cherries. The Southern Tier moniker, referencing the region along New York’s southern border with Pennsylvania, makes a return after last year’s brief stint as the Southern Tier Spicy Meatballs. Mark your calendars: the Scoop Scoundrels will hit the field July 17–19, 2026. But here’s the real question: Is this a clever celebration of quirky history, or just a scoop too far into the absurd? Let us know in the comments—do these alternate identities hit a home run, or should they be benched for good?
