Michael Cuddyer isn't just a batting title-winning outfielder, he's an expert magician, too.
Cuddyer isn't just an OF, he's also a magician
According to James K. Skipper's Baseball Nicknames: A Dictionary of Origins and Meanings (truly the most important book to ever be published), there have only been two players with a "magic" nickname in Major League history:
- Joe "The Magician" Abreu, a member of the Society of American Magicians and third baseman for nine games with the Reds in 1942
- Don "Mandrake the Magician" Mueller, nicknamed for his deft bat control after hitting .296 with only 146 strikeouts in 4,594 plate appearances
- And though this wasn't a nickname, we should make special mention of Magic Mears, who played for two years in the independent CanAm League in 2006-07. His mother should be commended.
Hopefully there will be one more player added to that list: newest Mets acquisition, Michael Cuddyer.
On Thursday, Cuddyer entertained students from Queens' PS 92 with a number of card tricks, err, illusions that he's been perfecting ever since he was "10 or 11."
It did not look like this, however:
Turns out, not only is Cuddyer pretty good at the tricks, using a deft sleight of hand, but we have just found the perfect reaction GIF for anything Cuddyer does this season.
Hits a home run? GIF. Slips between second and third? GIF. Performs more magic tricks in the dugout during a rain delay? I mean, sure, that's a bit on the nose, but OK, GIF.