Baseball teams have always used odd superstitions to carry them through tough situations, but one high school in Michigan tops them all. To push them through their state playoffs, the Saline High School Baseball Team is using a goat as a mascot in an attempt to claim an elusive Division 1 championship.
The Hornets’ odd choice of a mascot stems from their failures in recent years in the final game of the season. In a three-year stretch from 2008-2010, the team missed out on the state title by just one win.
In 2012, they fell in the semifinal round.
So this year, the team wanted any sort of edge to get them the one win that seems to be just out of its grasp. Instead of looking to improve their hitting or pitching, the Saline squad turned to Craigslist.com. The idea originally popped into the head of pitcher Josh Smith.
“I woke up one morning thinking we needed a team goat,” Smith said. “I can’t really explain it.”
After the goat was acquired, it sat near the field at every home game and some road contests. Crazy or not, the team has succeeded in the early stages of the postseason. The Hornets have already claimed both the district and regional championships.
The goat hasn’t taught the team any new techniques, but it has been a calming presence for the team in crunch time.
“You see him and it cheers you up,” Smith said. “It keeps everything loose in the dugout.”
Photo via Twitter/@TrevorHAPBigE
