On the opening day of the 2024 Major League Baseball season, the Seattle Mariners had an inter-inning race inside the stadium featuring four salmon mascots running around the ballpark:
King, Silver, Sockeye, and Humpy.
Over the 162 runnings of the Salmon Run, Humpy had yet to win a race. A season-long loser, it looked like he was destined to end the season without a victory.
In Game 5 of the American League Division Series, it finally happened:
When they ran the race in the 15th inning of a must-win game, Humpy won.
The fans went insane. Minutes later, Seattle won the game and advanced to the American League Championship Series for the first time in 24 years.
My question:
Did the Mariners make this Humpy victory happen?
Did they manipulate the race to allow Humpy to win because they understand that every edge matters?
Did they strategically prevent Humpy from winning all season long so they could deploy this unexpected victory at the moment when it could help the team the most?
Did someone in the Seattle organization think ahead, play the long game, and plan for this moment, knowing that every tiny advantage, no matter how insurmountable, can make a difference?
I really hope so.
I love people who understand that any advantage, regardless of its size or likelihood of influence, should be used every time, in every way possible.
Unfortunately, I’m a Yankees fan, so I can’t root for the Mariners or any other team in the playoffs.
I hope they all lose.
Still, bravo, Mariners, if this was planned.
Very impressive.
