CLEVELAND -- Typical of baseball superstition, Reds assistant bench coach Mike Napoli understood he had little choice. Napoli knew that his wearing of the “Tito speedo” was going to require a sequel effort.
What started as a gag gift to manager Terry Francona from catcher Tyler Stephenson earlier this season -- a speedo-style swimsuit with Francona's younger-era face all over it -- has become a source of possible good luck. With the Reds in the midst of struggles throughout this month, including back-to-back losses to the Nationals, Napoli decided to wear the suit on Thursday before the series finale at Great American Ball Park.
Cincinnati went on to win, 15-1.
“Obviously, Tito and I play cribbage every day and we were talking, and I looked over in his locker and saw his speedo hanging over there. I was like, ‘Is it washed?’ He said, ‘Yeah, why?’ I said, ‘I’m wearing it for the game today.’ Then, we scored 15 runs," Napoli said on Friday prior to the series opener against the Guardians at Progressive Field.
That means one thing: It will be worn again by Napoli as the Reds play the Guardians.
“If you’ve been around this game long enough, there’s things that people will do for a win or a hit in this game. ... And usually if it works, you stick with it until it doesn’t," Napoli added. "So ... it’s something to lighten the mood a little bit and it so happened that we went out and scored 15 runs.”
Napoli didn't tell many players that he was wearing the Tito speedo under his uniform pants during Thursday's game. But he did unzip it a little and revealed it to a couple of guys, including Stephenson.
“It was a great view," Stephenson said. “It was a joke in spring and I came to find out Napoli was wearing it during the game.”
When Napoli was in Francona's office again on Friday, the manager asked if he'd have the speedo back on for the series opener vs. Cleveland.
"I’m like, ‘I’m kind of disappointed you asked me that.’ Then, I told him I slept in it," Napoli said.
“You have to do it," Stephenson said. "This game is a little ‘stitious. It was funny.”
Stephenson had no thoughts that a gift to his manager would ever "help" get a win.
“It can be used in any way we need to," he said. "It was just kind of a funny joke for Tito and if it helps us win some games and score some runs then, yeah sure.”
Will anybody else take a turn wearing the Tito speedo?
"Maybe it will go to the next coach," Napoli said.
Francona is hoping he doesn't have to wear it, again.
"I’m telling you, I put it on this spring and I about threw up," Francona said. "It was so tight. My ears were red."
If the Reds were to achieve sustained success after Thursday, everybody might have to wear their own Tito speedo.
“I do potentially need to order some more, yeah," Stephenson said. "I didn’t know it would turn out to be this big of a deal, but I guess it has.”