PITTSBURGH – There are very few things that make Scott Bonnett panic.
The longtime gear manager has spent the last 15 years making sure the Pittsburgh Pirates have what they need, when they need it. That taught the long-time gear manager the importance of being prepared for anything.
Well, almost everything.
Bonnett was in the dugout in Seattle late last month watching Andrew McCutchen take third place after a home run against the Mariners when joy quickly gave way to panic. The pathologically meticulous Bonnett searched the end of the bench, looking not for a helmet, a glove, or pine but…a rubber sword and a black suit jacket that looks like it’s been attacked by an overzealous tailor with an affinity for patches.
Welcome to Major League Baseball in 2023, where an increasing number of home runs and big hits are being answered not with simple punches or forearm punches, but with full power.
in Pittsburgh, they bold. You know how pirates do it. in Minnesota, the fish. in miami, They dress in bling. In Seattle, they put on a tricked-out Darth Vader helmet and swing a trident. In Washington they literally the wig out. in arizona, they wrap themselves in leather.
A trend that began during the pandemic with some rogue teams to bring life to fanless stadiums is catching on, thanks in part to social media and simple competitive advantage.
The surprise Pirates began using a sword – actually a “duck knife” – this season at the behest of a group of fans calling themselves “The Renegades of the Rotunda” who regularly show up for games at PNC Park. in full cosplay glory. McCutchen – who fended off a spectacular save with an invisible opponent in Seattle after his 295th career home run just as Bonnett found the temporarily misplaced brace – believes his club is just trying to keep up with the times.
“You almost feel like an outcast when you don’t have it on a team,” said the five-time All-Star. “It’s just where we are.”
Or more specifically, where they are going.
Baseball is evolving not only on the field, but also off it. Sure, the pitch clock is cool. It just doesn’t go viral like when players slam water through a funnel or turn into them “human sprinklers” like kids fooling around with a garden hose like the Baltimore Orioles do after big hits.
“It’s very stupid, but it’s hilarious,” McCutchen said. “Especially when you involve the whole team.”
McCutchen pointed to the crowded dugout as proof the Orioles are generating a good vibe that’s hard to quantify but essential to navigating a six-month season that can sometimes feel like a drudgery, no matter how well it’s going.
“Everybody watches the game, they watch what happens,” McCutchen said. “There aren’t people in the clubhouse just wondering what’s going on or not paying attention. They are out there.”
It also creates a bond with the people who buy the tickets. The Orioles have designated an area of left-field courts as the “Bird Bath Splash Zone” where fans can be doused after off-base hits – thankfully with water from a cannon rather than a player’s mouth.
“They want to feel connected to their team and I think that gives them an opportunity to hopefully enjoy it,” said Baltimore pitcher Kyle Gibson. “It gives them the opportunity to make contact.”
There are a handful of unwritten rules — of course there are unwritten rules, it’s baseball — that come with territory. First off, the props have to be organic or at least on-brand. Oh, and they can’t piss off a league sponsor like they did when a weird outbreak broke out in Atlanta oversized Braves hatonly to be reprimanded by MLB for not being created by New Era, MLB’s official hat supplier.
The Twins launched their “Land of 10,000 Rakes” routine at the urging of pitcher Pablo López, who formed an informal planning committee to hatch something symbolic for the region. They developed a beige fishing vest and a children’s fishing rod, with the possibility of adding more over the summer.
“Maybe we can add a bucket hat, or a big fish would be good,” said outfielder Michael Taylor.
Change can be good. Miami’s homer party has transformed from a simple necklace with a giant Marlins logo to a full-fledged ensemble that now includes a giant straw hat and sunglasses — a nod to a city that’s part neon glam, part retirement community.
Arizona used to pull out a stuffed rattlesnake but has since traded it in for a “victory vest” that the night’s star player can wear for post-game TV interviews.
“Anything you can do to break up the dog days of the season, little things like that make you laugh,” said Diamondbacks first baseman Christian Walker. “We had a few things that we pulled back along the way, but it seems like the jacket is sticking.”
It helps the Diamondbacks win, a key factor in whether something goes through or fails. San Diego Padres star Fernando Tatis Jr. thought he was on to something when he brought a life-sized red, white and green sombrero to the dugout during a series in Mexico City against the San Francisco Giants in April. The Padres hit six home runs that first night, with the Sombrero finds its way onto the head the one who sent the ball over the fence.
However, a May faint soon followed. And the sombrero was put back into storage after two short weeks.
“It died,” Tatis joked, admitting it will “probably” return at some point. “It’s at the back. it rests He gave everything he had.”
Still, San Diego isn’t short of options. The Padres occasionally pose for photos with a baseball — usually with a face drawn by bench coach Ryan Christenson — sporting a mini sombrero after home runs.
Almost every player The Associated Press spoke to stressed that most celebrations are generally just fun and don’t cross the line into anything personal, other than, say, a particularly flashy backflip or the former MLB pitcher’s “sword” move Trevor Bauer used to blink after a strikeout.
They are also usually conducted in the “privacy” of the dugout, out of sight of the opponent on the pitch.
That doesn’t mean they don’t get under your skin occasionally, though. This is where the beauty of the game comes into play.
“It’s a two-way street,” McCutchen said. “The hitter can do whatever he wants.” The pitcher can do whatever he wants. But if there’s ever a meeting again, that other person will feel like if I bring you here, I’m going to do something I feel some kind of revenge for. I have a time of vengeance on you for doing this. I’m really going to celebrate that.”
It’s not up to McCutchen to decide what’s good or bad for the game. At 36, he’s old enough to be considered “old school,” even if his game has had some flashiness since his major league debut in 2009. Now a father of three – including two young sons who already play T-ball – he understands the game has to adapt or die.
If that means turning every home into a production – within reason – then so be it. Bring the props. A decade ago he was Part of a team that showed a “Z”. based on Zoltan, the villain in the early 2000s comedy Dude, Where’s My Car? — perhaps one of the most random “things that became a thing” in modern sport history.
This season it’s a cutlass and a slightly too tight jacket. Next year it will be something different.
“It will change,” he said. “Either you accept it or you’re just mad. We are showmen. We’re putting on a show. That’s what gets you to the ballpark. You’re playing the game, but you’re also doing some things that make people be like, ‘Man, that was really cool.'”
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Contributing to this report were AP sportswriters Dave Campell, Noah Trister, David Brandt, Bernie Wilson, Jay Cohen, Tim Booth, Paul Newberry, and Kristie Rieken, and Associated Press writer Santos Perez.
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