What Ever Happened To The Baseball Pie In The Face?
I know what you're thinking, "I just saw a baseball player get a pie in the face during a postgame interview last night."
I want you to really think about what you saw. I want you to really think about whether you actually saw a pie in the face.
Or was it something else?
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Chances are, you didn't see a pie in the face. You probably haven't in years.
You remember an actual pie in the face, like this one from over 15 years ago to Mike Maddux.
At some point though, it changed. At some point, the pie shell became a towel, and the sweet pie filling because shaving cream.
Check out Raul Ibanez getting a "pie in the face." There's no pie to be seen.
Going back even further, check out Mike Lieberthal getting a "pie in the face." Again, where is the pie?
Did I miss a meeting where we all agreed that a towel with shaving cream is a worthy substitute for a pie? Have I been going to the wrong diners?
If there's a reason for the switch besides laziness , I'd sure like to know.
It sure isn't cost.
Even if we agree that the both shaving cream and towel are free to the team, because both supplies are already purchased and readily available, the difference is still minimal.
A package of two pie shells averages about $2.45. A seven ounce can of whipped cream only costs around $2.49. Even with 10 pies to the face in a season (which would be extraordinary), you're still talking a total cost of less than $20.
Letting go of Cliff Lee to save $9 million is one thing, but $20 for pie supplies is ridiculous. We all see how the Cliff Lee thing worked out.
The reason can't be safety either. At the 3:40 mark of this video, Lehigh University pitcher Greg Angelo gets a towel to the face and notices a burning sensation in his eyes, though he toughs out the interview anyway. Not using a pie can actually be dangerous. (thanks to Lehigh's Jeff Tourial for the video)
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If there's one sport that loves its tradition, it's baseball. It's a shame that this tradition has fallen by the wayside for no good reason. We're better than this.
What we've done to the pie in the face is like moving the seventh inning stretch to the 4th inning, and singing "Who Let The Dogs Out" instead of "Take Me Out To The Ball Game."
The pie in the face is as much a part of baseball tradition as the seventh inning stretch. Let's make it an actual pie again.
Show your support by commenting with your name. Finally, an Internet petition we can believe in.
