KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) 鈥� First, the Milwaukee Brewers had 鈥減ocket pancakes.鈥� Now, they have pocket turtles.
Ahem, tortoise.
This all probably needs an explanation.
During a game last August, Brewers manager Pat Murphy was caught taking a pancake from the pocket of his hoodie for a midgame bite, right in the middle of a dugout interview during a game against the Nationals. It wasn’t necessarily new for Murphy, who’s been known to have everything from waffles to eggs rolls close at hand should he get the munchies.
But given the game was nationally televised, . And the , introducing 鈥淢urph’s Pocket Pancakes鈥� as concession items for Sunday home games at American Family Field.
Back to the turtle 鈥� er, tortoise.
The Brewers were supposed to play the Royals on Friday night on Apple TV, though the because of the rain. During a pregame interview with Apple’s reporter, Tricia Whitaker, Murphy said he was informed 鈥渦nder no uncertain circumstances, no pocket pancakes鈥� during their talk, so he pulled out what was supposed to be a pocket turtle.
鈥淭his is Bobby Jr.,鈥� Murphy said in presenting it to her, having named the creature after his longtime friend, Bobby Witt, and his son, Royals star Bobby Witt Jr. 鈥淚 didn’t want to pull out pancakes so here we are.鈥�
Whitaker posted , and fans immediately informed her that the reptile was not, in fact, a pocket turtle 鈥� or any turtle. It was a tortoise, or more specifically a Sulcata tortoise, which can live 70 years and grow to 100 pounds.
鈥淗ow am I supposed to fly this home?鈥� Whitaker asked.
Good question.
Turns out, as Whitaker later American Airlines has 鈥渁 strict no reptiles policy,鈥� so Bobby Jr. had to stay behind in Kansas City. The agreement, she wrote, is that the club would keep the tortoise for the time being.
Indeed, the reptile was happily living under a heat lamp in the visiting clubhouse at Kauffman Stadium on Saturday, though the plan is to find Bobby Jr. a good home soon. He won’t be traveling with the club all season.
鈥淚t was suggested by one player,鈥� Whitaker said, 鈥渢hat they get to keep the 鈥榬ally turtle’ if they win today. If they lose, I am hoping, consideration will be given to send me the tortoise.鈥�
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