NEW YORK.- From their playoff pumpkin to Grimace’s purple seat and infielder José Iglesias’ new song, the New York Mets They have a lot of charms for good luck and camaraderie in October.
″What good is the game if you’re not having fun? That’s part of the culture here,” first baseman Pete Alonso said.
Alonso added another charm in late September when he and his wife picked up their little “playoff pumpkin,” as he called it, while visiting a Wisconsin farm when the Mets were playing the Brewers.
The pumpkin has been seen from the decisive game of the Wild Card Series to the Division Series against the Philadelphia Phillies, to reach the National League Championship Series.
The Metropolitans will face either the San Diego Padres or the Los Angeles Dodgers in a best-of-seven series starting Sunday.
After hitting the home runs, the smiling players pose in the dugout for collective photos holding a blue and orange sign that says “OMG” (team colors, of course), in a nod to the name of Cuban Iglesias’ hit song, while It plays on the Citi Field sound system.
Along those same lines, starting pitchers have chosen to paint black under their eyes, something completely unnecessary when they are not on the mound, and write the uniform number of that day’s starter on it to show unity and support.
“Just another good luck charm, I guess,” Sean Manaea said Monday before beating the Phillies with a gem in Game 3 the next day.
The most peculiar amulet
Dugout props to celebrate home runs, like rubber swords or funny hats, have exploded in Major League Baseball in recent seasons.
The Mets, on the other hand, have been inspired by a cartoonish mascot.
Fans flocked to Grimace, the kid-friendly McDonald’s character, after he threw out a first pitch before New York beat the Miami Marlins at Citi Field on June 12.
That victory coincided with the start of a seven-game winning streak and the Mets’ good luck charm soon went viral, taking on a life of its own.
The club has gone all out since then, with Grimace riding the subway to the third game against the Phillies and installing a commemorative purple seat at Citi Field.
However, does it really contribute to winning?
Perhaps most importantly, none of the light-hearted gimmicks have distracted the Mets down the stretch or during a pressure-packed postseason.
