09/23/2026
There are some sounds and smells we will miss as the weather turns colder and we count the days until Spokane Indians baseball season begins again - a whiff of Longhorn Barbecue in the air, the crack of a bat, and, depending on the play, the announcer calling out, “That’s a Longhorn Double.”
“We always like to say, ‘We don't like to date. We like to get married," said Otto Klein, the Senior Vice President of the Spokane Indians. “And we’ve been married to Longhorn Barbecue for a long time.”
We loved this season just as much as every one before it. It started with a vision that the Indians pitched to Longhorn's previous owners, Bill Miller and Randy Ingraham, to become Spokane’s hometown barbecue. It made sense because of our close ties to the community and our special Texas pit-style barbecue, consistent quality, and Southern hospitality.
“Our fans can have a plate of Longhorn food, whether it's a half-chicken, a sandwich, Longhorn potato salad, and beans,” Otto said. “It’s served hot and fresh at every home game.”
We cheered on our hometown team through each of the 2026 home games. But we celebrate just a little bit more when a player hits a double. “We have a sound effect we play that says, ‘That’s a Longhorn Double,” explained Otto. “We’ve said that for years, and now it’s an identifier. Everybody knows, when you come to a game, when we hit a double, we play the ‘It’s a Longhorn double’, and everyone in a certain section gets a coupon.”
Now we're counting the days until the 2027 season home opener on Tuesday, April 6. "To have a long-term marriage like this is a real success story, because both sides believe in each other,” said Otto. “We think that they run a great business. They are the fabric of the community, and when you think of barbecue, you think of Longhorn, and that means a lot to us as well.”
