Summer league team debuts re-imagined Mariners' bullpen boat from the '80s
The DubSea Fish Sticks, a Collegiate Summer League team based out of Seattle, Washington, recently debuted a recreation of a forgotten relic tied to the city's Major League Baseball team.
Over the weekend, the Fish Sticks unveiled a bullpen boat, their version of the Seattle Mariners' "M.S. Relief," which once brought relievers to the mound from the bullpen in the earlier 1980s.
Brandon Sparks, the Fish Sticks' on-field host and "Director of Fun," drove the cart on its maiden voyage, losing his phone in the process, perhaps due to choppy waters in the infield.
The Fish Sticks are still searching for a name for their bullpen boat, though Sparks admitted he fancies the bluntness of "FISHING BOAT."
The use of bullpen carts goes back to the 1950s, and by the '80s, practically every team had one. Bullpen carts were a wild, out-of-the-box idea that flourished for a while before disappearing far too early.
While certainly a novelty, something about bullpen carts feels right, and it's a shame they aren't more prevalent.
The Arizona Diamondbacks did bring in a bullpen cart to use during their 20th anniversary season in 2018, but they've since disappeared off the radar again.
Maybe the Fish Sticks' creation will motivate other clubs to follow suit and help bring back bullpen carts, each fit with its own unique spin. Just imagine the possibilities.
More must-reads: