Unofficial Fan HQ · wichitahonkers.com

Fear
the Flock

HONK IF YOU'RE HUNGRY FOR A WIN 🪿

A tribute to Wichita's boldest residents — the Canada geese who rule the roads, win every shouting match, and never, ever yield. We want them on the diamond permanently.

Sign the Petition Meet the Honkers

The Identity

Wichita's Unofficial Traffic Controllers

In February 2026, the Wichita Wind Surge — the Double-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins in the Texas League — unveiled an alternate identity celebrating the city's most stubborn locals: the Canada goose. The team channeled "don't-mess-with-the-nest" energy straight onto the field.

From slow-rolling across the asphalt to winning every shouting match they start, these geese are the real kings of the road in Wichita. Whether they're staging a slow-motion protest in the middle of Kellogg or facing down a line of SUVs, the Honkers never back down. As the team put it: one part traffic jam, two parts attitude, and 100 percent Wichita.

2026

Year Hatched

The Honkers identity was revealed February 5, 2026 with the rallying cry #FearTheFlock.

The Level

Double-A baseball at Equity Bank Park, affiliate of the Minnesota Twins, Texas League.

Honker Games

The flock takes the field four times in 2026 — full jerseys, caps, and themed merch.

States Day One

Honkers merch sold in 20 states on the very first day. The flock went national.

How It Hatched

It Started With a Goose Roadblock

The whole thing traces back to general manager Matt Hamilton's first week in Wichita in February 2024, after he arrived from the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders. Driving to Equity Bank Park, he hit a very Wichita problem along the Arkansas River corridor.

Feb 2024 · The Standoff

Hamilton gets stuck behind a flock of geese refusing to leave the road. He leans on the horn; they just stare back and honk right at him. When he tells the office, staff call it a Wichita rite of passage.

Nov 2024 · The Paperwork

The Wind Surge formally submit Honkers materials. Minor league alternate brands must clear copyright and IP checks through MLB, then get approved by cap-maker New Era — a process that runs well over a year.

Feb 2026 · The Reveal

Nearly two years after the goose encounter, final approval lands. The Wind Surge become the first of roughly 120 affiliated clubs to use a social-media influencer as primary logo designer.

May 2026 · The Debut

The Honkers take the field for the first time against the Arkansas Travelers — who showed up as the Arkansas Mad Mallards, turning the opener into a full-blown battle of the birds.

"I laid on my horn to get them to move and they just looked at me, like, 'Can I help you?'"

— Matt Hamilton, Wind Surge GM, on the goose traffic jam that started it all

Anatomy of the Logo

A Goose With An Old-Timey Horn

The identity was created by designer Emily Morgan, who has nearly 500,000 combined followers across TikTok and Instagram and unveiled the mark to her audience as part of the launch. She tucked hidden meaning into every line.

The Goose
A defiant Canada goose stares you down — daring you to honk first.
The Horn
The beak is swapped for an old-timey horn. These birds were honking long before your car was.
Hidden "WS"
The goose's wing is shaped to resemble a "WS" for Wind Surge — a nod to the parent club hidden in plain sight.
The Sign
A geese-crossing traffic sign is reimagined as a baseball diamond backdrop.
The Colors
A bold yellow-and-black scheme straight off a road-hazard sign.

Public Reception

The Flock Went Viral

What began as a 10-minute traffic delay on McLean Boulevard became one of the most talked-about alternate identities in Minor League Baseball. The launch lit up social media for its sheer absurdity, and merch orders poured in from coast to coast.

~500K

Designer's follower reach

States buying on day one

Most-talked-about Surge alter ego

"I think the overall reaction has been overwhelmingly positive," said Madison Johnson, the team's director of marketing. "It's fun to see people have a reaction to the name and then also get excited about baseball coming back." In minor league baseball, buzz is currency — and the Honkers minted plenty of it.

Who Wears the Wing

The 2026 Flock Roster

The Honkers are the Wind Surge in disguise — and that means a roster stacked with Minnesota Twins prospects. The Opening Day squad featured seven members of the Twins' Top 30 Prospects list and returned 19 players from a 2025 team that won 76 games, second-most in franchise history.

OF · Position Player

Hendry Mendez

Twins No. 12

The top-ranked prospect on the roster and the headliner of the position group.

2B / SS / OF

Kyle DeBarge

Twins No. 22

A former first-round pick climbing the ladder, playing his age-22 season with defensive versatility all over the field.

3B / 1B

Billy Amick

Twins No. 24

A corner-infield bat and one of the four headline position prospects in the lineup.

OF / DH

Kala'i Rosario

Twins No. 29

Power-hitting outfielder rounding out the Honkers' prospect-laden batting order.

RHP · Pitcher

Ryan Gallagher

Twins No. 19

The top pitching prospect on the staff, anchoring a rotation built to miss bats.

RHP · Pitcher

CJ Culpepper

Twins No. 22

Looks sharp when healthy and reportedly touches the upper 90s — a key arm after an injury-shortened 2025.

Managed by Brian Dinkelman, named to the post in January 2025. (Rosters change through the season — players get promoted, that's the whole point of Double-A.)

GOBBLE

HONK

Expanded Lore

The Flock Has Allies

The geese may run the roundabouts, but they aren't Wichita's only feathered road warriors. Out east, a one-bird traffic department has been holding down his own intersection — and around here, anything that fearlessly stares down a bumper is honorary flock.

📍 Central & Greenwich · East Wichita

G.G. the Eastside Turkey

A wild tom who set up shop around a cluster of businesses near Central and Greenwich and became a neighborhood legend — stopping traffic, stealing hearts, and, by multiple accounts, taking runs at passing cars. One co-worker described him as "kind of ornery," with a habit of standing in the busy street, chasing cars, and pecking at their hubcaps as they roll by.

In a world of distracted driving, G.G. has everybody on the road paying attention. That's the same energy the Honkers bring to the diamond: own your corner, fear no vehicle, never yield.

A note for the brand purists: geese honk, turkeys gobble — so G.G. isn't a Honker himself. Think of him as the flock's eastside ally and unofficial mascot-in-arms. Same attitude, different bird. The road belongs to whoever refuses to move, and in Wichita that's a coalition.

When the Flock Lands

2026 Honker Game Days

Four times this season the Wind Surge transform into the Honkers at Equity Bank Park, with custom jerseys, caps, and the whole in-stadium experience rebranded around the theme.

MAY 2

vs Arkansas · DEBUT

Played

MAY 3

vs Arkansas

Played

JUL 11

Honkers Return

SEP 8

Final Flight

The Campaign

Make the Honkers
Permanent

The Wind Surge announced their full-time rebrand will be the Turbo Tubs starting in 2027. We respect the tubs — but the flock deserves the franchise. If you believe the Honkers should be Wichita's permanent identity, add your name. Let's show them what the flock wants.

1,287

Honkers and counting

🪿 Welcome to the flock! Now go honk at a friend.