SEATTLE — Last summer, ‘twas an Etsy Witch that turned the Mariners’ fortunes around.
This year might be even stranger.
The latest sensation out of the Pacific Northwest might not have Sasquatch’s size but is building up a similar fanatical following. It’s a one-of-a-kind raccoon, born with a small, rounded body and unique gait, likely due to a congenital spine condition. The woman who first filmed him in Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood named him Jimothy, because he “just looked like a Jimothy to me.”
Within days, Jimothy had gone viral, first in Seattle and then across the country. And it didn’t take long for “Jimothy” to find his way to T-Mobile Park, where, of course, he was pressed into service. In the middle of the fourth inning of Saturday’s game against the Giants, a raccoon mascot took the field with Seattle’s four favorite salmon — King, Silver, Sockeye and Humpy — for the Salmon run.
His form? Far from graceful. But as the fish got tangled up around the turn, the raccoon took advantage, capturing the checkered flag to a roar from the crowd.
For those of you keeping salmon score at home, this win put Jimothy in fourth place in the all-time standings, ahead of Humpy, if you only count regular-season races. If you include postseason and exhibitions, of course, Humpy has two wins — including the most memorable Salmon Run in history — and Jimothy is tied with outfielder Victor Robles. (It’s a long story.)
And for those of you keeping actual score, Jimothy’s having an even greater effect. As the scoreboard at T-Mobile Park began flashing a “make noise for Jimothy” graphic, the crowd obliged, and the Mariners found their bats. In its first 12 innings coming out of the All-Star break, the Seattle offense mustered up a grand total of zero runs. Since the raccoon took the field, the Mariners have outscored opponents 18-5, rattled off three straight wins and gotten back over .500.
