Cat on the loose draws MVP chants in Bronx

August 3rd, 2021

We have a new contender for M(eow)st Valuable Player.

A scurrying cat sent Yankee Stadium into a frenzy during New York's game against the Orioles on Monday night, as the tiny furry feline found its way onto the warning track and set the grounds crew off on a wild chase. Clearly not ready to be escorted out of the ballpark during its moment in the spotlight, the cat tried scaling the outfield wall to evade its pursuers.

That fired up the Bronx crowd, which hadn't seen many baseball highlights to speak of through the first few innings. Chants of "MVP! MVP!" started to echo through the ballpark, and every time the cat made a move to escape the grounds crew, it got a resounding vote of confidence from the fans.

“We saw [the cat] in the dugout earlier in the game, just chilling there, so we let him be. Next thing I know, I heard all the fans cheering. I didn’t know what was going on," said Orioles outfielder Cedric Mullins. "I didn’t see the cat until he was out at the outfield wall. Then it was seeing seven grown men get their ankles broken by a cat. It was pretty funny to watch.”

Finally the chase came to an end when the cat unwittingly ran into an open gate into the stands down the third-base line, and, of course, a chorus of boos rained down. After watching the full pursuit, O's manager Brandon Hyde had to admit the feline had the makings of a five-tool player.

"The cat showed good quickness, agility and vertical, a few times," Hyde said.

Get that cat a contract!