Rangers’ farm team selling drink named after Rougned Odor’s punch

Minor league baseball teams have been known to go a step or two further than their major league counterparts when it comes to marketing and promotion gimmicks meant to attract attention and maybe help sell a few tickets.

So it’s no surprise an affiliate of the Texas Rangers is trying to capitalize on one of the biggest moments in the baseball season so far, Rangers second baseman Rougned Odor punching Toronto slugger Jose Bautista. Odor received an eight-game suspension on Tuesday for the punch.

[Elsewhere: The embarrassing way Fredi Gonzalez found out Braves were firing him]

The Frisco RoughRiders are selling a new energy drink containing alcohol called Rougie’s Red Punch.  It will be available for a limited time at Dr Pepper Ballpark’s Bull Moose Saloon. It’s a blend of fruit punch, an energy drink and a secret ingredient from Rougned’s native Venezuela and is sold out of a punch bowl, of course.

Introducing Rougie’s Red Punch! It wont knock you off your feet BUT 1 sip & youll (bat)FLIP! https://t.co/3k5kBGqKYO pic.twitter.com/hGKBq4f1U5

— Frisco RoughRiders (@RidersBaseball) May 17, 2016

It costs $5.15, which was the date Odor punched Bautista after his hard slide into second base moments after Bautista had been hit by a pitch. The drink comes in a commemorative cup featuring an image resembling what the RoughRiders called ‘Odor’s iconic punch.’

Odor played for the RoughRiders during parts of the 2013 and 2014 seasons. So he has a connection to the team beyond just being a part of the major league club with which it is affiliated.

The bad blood between the Rangers and Blue Jays goes back to the American League Division Series last season won by Toronto, in part, thanks to Bautista’s three-run home run and subsequent bat flip in the seventh inning of Game 5.

[Elsewhere: Robinson Cano is back, healthy and proving the doubters wrong]

Some might find the drink gimmick in poor taste. Others won’t mind a bit that a Double-A team is having a little fun with what was an ugly few moments on the field. Bench-clearing dustups have long been a part of baseball and so has clever marketing from the minor leagues.

More MLB coverage from Yahoo Sports:

– – – – – – –

Kyle Ringo is a contributing writer to Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @KyleRingo