Count me among the masses who have no idea what a Cudighi Yooper Sandwich is. But, apparently it is a hit in West Michigan, so much so that the spicy sausage received 6,984 votes to win the Whitecaps' annual contest to name a new concession item at Fifth Third Field.

The Cudighi Yooper edged by two votes the Declaration of Indigestion, a half-pound foot-long hot dog covered in a Philly cheese steak and served on a sub roll. But hold your groans (until after you eat it), because Whitecaps management decided to reward both entries by adding each to the menu this season. 

For those not from the Upper Peninsula, a Cudighi is a spicy sausage, and the sandwich will feature a patty smothered in cheese, pizza sauce, peppers and onions.

In all, the contest received over 20,000 votes. Finishing third with 6,326 votes was a Chocolate Covered Bacon treat (it will not be added to the menu).

West Michigan drew national headlines last spring when it announced the addition of the Fifth Third Burger—a 4,800-calorie, 4-pound monstrosity. The team rewarded any individual who could consume it in one sitting with a T-shirt. (Don't worry, the Fifth Third Burger was scheduled to remain on the menu this season.)

Big things were in the works for the Harrisburg Senators before the Nationals decided last weekend to ship the most-hyped prospect in minor league baseball history to the Double-A Eastern League affiliate.

So, in addition to a new ballpark, the Senators may also now have Stephen Strasburg to show off on Opening Day.

Harrisburg would likely only be a pit stop for Strasburg on his way to Washington this spring, and he likely won't be around on July 14 when the ballclub hosts the Eastern League all-star game—but they can't ask for everything.

"It's like the perfect storm, but not that bad one, where the boat sank," Harrisburg general manager Randy Whitaker said.

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A look at today's news from around the world of baseball.

* The race is on to complete ballpark renovations in Great Falls before the start of the short-season Pioneer League in June. The  final steps of a $1.5 million project include adding berm seating, converting team offices into field-boxes and adding a play area.

* Controversy over the bidding process of Triple-A Tacoma's Cheney Stadium continues to slow the renovation process. The local city council is supposed to vote tomorrow on awarding a contract for the $30 million renovation amid claims from a rival company that it came in with a cheaper bid.

* Does Topps' deal to be the exclusive producer of MLB, MILB and Team USA baseball cards signal the end is near for Upper Deck? The company recently agreed to settle a lawsuit brought against by MLB Properties. According to a story in the Bristol Press, Upper Deck agreed not to "alter MLB trademarks on photos in future products — essentially meaning it cannot use pictures of players in MLB uniforms and airbrush or otherwise digitally alter the images to remove team logos, as has been done in many non-MLB Properties card sets in the past."

* It's two years later, and spring training still doesn't seem right without the Dodgers in Vero.

Whether Major League Baseball will use the minors as guinea pigs for HGH testing remains to be seen, but the minors will be a testing ground for baseball's continued effort to improve bat safety. 

Many maple bats will be banned in the minors this season, the Associated Press reports, as part of MLB's effort to keep broken bats from striking players and fans. The AP reports that ultra-light maple bats will be banned this season and that red maple and silver maple bats will be eliminated entirely by bat-making companies.

Interestingly, the ban does not blanket all minor leaguers, but rather only players not on 40-man rosters and who have no major league experience.