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This spud's for you: Baseball players are getting potatoes in the mail now too
A strange, new pattern has taken root in Major League Baseball locker rooms. We’ve heard about fans sending unusual items to players in the past, but this particular idea seems a little half … er … twice baked. But, hey, whatever it takes to butter up your favorite athlete.
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We’re talking, of course, about the recent craze of athletes receiving potatoes in the mail. The ritual started in the NBA, but has now made its way over to MLB.
Considering how frequently he’s mashing taters, Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Eric Thames seems like a logical choice for this endeavor. Sure enough …
#Brewers Eric Thames has received all kinds of messages, including one via Potato Parcel. That’s right, a message written on a potato.
— Tom (@Haudricourt) April 25, 2017
Thames said he’s keeping the potato message. “It might be good luck,” he said.
— Tom (@Haudricourt) April 25, 2017
Not long after, Kansas City Royals pitcher Danny Duffy revealed he also received a potato from a fan.
Whoever sent me this, i gotta say, ill cherish this potato for the rest of time. Thanks a million
A post shared by Danny Duffy (@duff805) on Apr 27, 2017 at 9:40am PDT
While only two players have mentioned the odd gift thus far, we’re going to guess many more will come forward soon. The gesture appears to be a marketing stunt by a company called Potato Parcel, which allows people to put custom pictures or messages on potatoes and send them to their friends. The company was featured on an episode of ABC’s “Shark Tank.”
Potato Parcel reportedly sent out 150 packages to various NBA players as a promotional gimmick. The company exploded in popularity after Dallas Mavericks star Dirk Nowitzki shared a picture of his starchy gift on Twitter. If the business followed the same strategy with MLB, we’re probably going to see a lot more potatoes on social media in the coming days.
Marketing gimmicks like this can sometimes leave a bitter taste in the mouths of fans, though this seems pretty harmless. To those of you who can’t enjoy what’s supposed to be a fun, unique idea, we would remind you that there’s no need to get worked up over small potatoes. Literally.
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Chris Cwik is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at christophercwik@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik
