Diamond Rides

Pitchers are making grand entrances from the bullpen thanks to these wheels.

BY MARK BECHTEL

TIPPING A DRIVER is common after a good ride, but Twins pitcher Steven Okert took things to a new level in May. Minnesota was playing in Washington, where relievers are driven from the bullpen to the mound by a cart. Okert entered a game against the Nationals in the fifth inning. When he disembarked, he handed the driver a $5 tip. “I was carrying [the $5 bill] the whole series waiting to get in,” Okert said. (It brought him good karma—he retired all four batters he faced and got the win.) The practice of chauffeuring pitchers from the bullpen is believed to have begun in 1950, when relievers at Cleveland Stadium were ferried to the mound in a convertible. That created a problem: Fans would pelt the car with cups. The White Sox…

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Sports Illustrated Kids (Digital) - 1 Issue, July/August 2024

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