Call Devin Mesoraco The Groundhog

One of the fun parts of baseball is players sometimes have colorful nicknames.  One of the classic examples is Catfish Hunter getting the nickname Catfish because Athletics owner Charlie Finley thought the 19 year old James needed a catchy nickname.  To put it mildly, Finley was the opposite of the Yankees in that he actually encouraged players to express themselves and for them to have wild facial hair like Rollie Fingers‘ handlebar mustache.

The nicknames over the years have somewhat subsided, but with Player’s Weekend last year, we have seen these nicknames emerge like Michael Conforto being dubbed Scooter.  There was also the Mets fans naming Bartolo Colon “Big Sexy” even before it became ironic with his failure to pay child support.  To that end, it is time for Mets fans to step up again and find a nickname for Devin Mesoraco, who is quickly becoming a fan favorite.

Given his unique look, prompting Rocko’s Modern Life type of comparisons.  Given his “Rocko” jersey for Player’s Weekend last year, it makes a ton of sense.  However, as Mets fans, we can do better.  Why not call him “The Groundhog.”

With him coming from Punxsutawney, PA, the home of the famous Punxsutawney Phil, it would seem a natural fit.

You can extrapolate this further to be a more clever and apt comparison.  With the trade, the Mets have emerged from the shadows of the Matt Harvey Era, and the team is back on the winning path with him behind the dish.  As a catcher, he crouches down deep, and he springs up to let the base runner know if it’s all clear, or if he will have to face six more weeks of winter.  Admittedly, these comparisons can be a bit pained.

Really, in the end, this is about being able to take something about his past, his birthplace, and merge it with a great movie like Groundhog Day.  There is a quote or gif for everything:

Really, it is endless, including the multiple uses of Ned Ryerson’s “BING!”  In the end if this takes off, and the Mets win the World Series, we will all celebrate.  While the champagne corks are popping and the beer is flying around the room, we will drink to both a World Series, and of course, to world peace.

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