30 years after 'Fargo,' Fargo-Moorhead baseball team will play 5 games as the 'Woodchippers'
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It’s a scene we moviegoers can never forget, even though some of us may want to: Marge, the police chief played by Oscar-winner Frances McDormand, has her gun drawn as she slowly walks across a snowy, wooded lot toward a loud, grinding sound. We then see the bad guy, played by Peter Stormare, trying to jam his accomplice’s remains through the woodchipper, as a foot sticks out of the machine.
Now, to honor that iconic moment in the Academy award winning film that came out 30 years ago, the Fargo-Moorhead minor league baseball team will change their name from the RedHawks to the Woodchippers for five games this summer. The RedHawks are celebrating the 30th anniversary of the baseball team’s founding this year as well, creating symmetrical connection.
“The woodchipper has really become one of the icons for Fargo and Fargo-Moorhead,” said Eli Swanson, the Redhawk’s director of communications. “And I think for us, knowing that this is both the 30th anniversary, you know, of that connection beginning, and also of the RedHawk organization, it kind of was the perfect time to finally put this out.”
The woodchipper featured in “Fargo” has become an iconic symbol of the Fargo-Moorhead area, drawing visitors to the Fargo-Moorhead Visitors Center, just off of I-94, where it is displayed.
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In addition to the name change, the team will don yellow and black jerseys and caps, a stark change from their usual red and white uniforms.
The team will also sell Woodchipper-themed hats, shirts jerseys and other merchandise, including some with the cheeky phrase, “Got Wood?”
The RedHawks play in the American Association, which is a partner league with Major League Baseball. Swanson said that gives the team much more freedom to play with their branding and host special events.
“It's a fun time to be a part of a minor league or partner league baseball team, because you have a little more creative freedom when it comes to these alternate identities,” Swanson said.
He says while this is not the first time they have switched up their identity, this temporary name change is certainly a bigger deal.
Back in 2021, he said their name changed for just one night.
“We became the River Rats. But really, other than that, we haven't done too many alternate identities like this.”
The Redhawks will play their first game as the Woodchippers on Friday, June 12, against the Winnipeg Goldeyes. The other Woodchipper dates are on July 10, July 22, Aug. 11 and Aug. 29.
