Sometimes, it’s the little things. Like the fact that Earth Day (April 22) is in the same month as major league baseball’s opening day–just a couple weeks apart! (MLB opening day is April 4). Lots of clubs are touting their greenness now, some (much) more impressively than others. Let’s examine some of the contenders.

  • The Cleveland Indians are giving away recycled hats at their April 17 game against the White Sox. Made from plastic bottles. This operates via reverse green psychology. A hat still qualifies as stuff that involves manufacture, packaging and delivery. But they do help to keep that super-charged sun off your face, so points there.
  • On Earth Day, the Cincinnati Reds will offset their carbon emissions. And the event staff will “wear uniforms from fiber culled from recycled drink bottles.” That’s probably not as uncomfortable as it sounds. But is that seriously supposed to make an impact? A: Are these new, one-time use uniforms? Because that’s just a silly waste. B: Do baseball fans really care about the fiber in the staff uniforms?
  • Target Field, new home to the Minnesota Twins, is heading for LEED certification. In part thanks to a rainwater recycling system that will reduce the need for municipal water by over 50% saving more than 2 million gallons of water annually. Ding ding ding! We have a winner!