How the pun finally paid off for Burger

August 17th, 2023

This story was excerpted from Christina De Nicola's Marlins Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

Growing up, Marlins third baseman was used to the jokes at the expense of his last name.

"You have to embrace it," Burger said. "When you're in third, fourth, fifth grade, kids don't know any better. So you have to get a little tough skin. But I embraced it fully."

Despite all of the teasing, Burger surprisingly had never been gifted a burger or been part of a burger-related baseball promotion ... until Monday. After his walk-off hit capped an improbable five-run ninth-inning comeback win over the Yankees on Sunday, Burger found 100 burgers waiting for him at his locker inside the clubhouse.

Miami-based company Burger King delivered 400 total burgers -- both single and double Whoppers -- as well as paper crowns to loanDepot park to celebrate Burger's heroics.

Burger, who doesn't eat burgers much during the season, splurged on a single Whopper. The rest of the patties went to the sales team, front office, teammates and coaches. The 27-year-old third baseman is batting .340 with five doubles, one homer and eight RBIs in 14 games with his new club.

"That was awesome," Burger said. "It fired me up. I know Josh [Bell] was loving it, too. He's like, 'I'm kind of disappointed I haven't gotten Taco Bell on my chair yet.'"

So what's Burger's go-to burger order?

"I don't think you put ketchup on there. I think ketchup ruins everything," Burger said. "So if you're going to do condiments, either mustard or mayonnaise -- whichever you prefer out of those, if not both. Then, a pickle -- not spears, [but] like the regular hamburger pickles -- and then maybe a slice of cheese on there. Pretty simple."