The Power of the Plantain – The Legend of the Fruit Continues to Grow

Give Joe Maddon credit for riding the hot hand….or, in this case, fruit.

Following his May 9th performance when Fernando Rodney appeared to have regained his form from 2012, he revealed that he had gone back to his not-so-secret weapon, the plantain. As Rodney has pitched well since that point, looking more and more like the arrow shooting dominant closer that he had morphed into, and it seemed as though the Rays were a bit tight, Maddon took action, bringing in Sol Caribe, a Latin band from Tampa. But, perhaps more importantly, he brought in some plantains.

The fruit was in nine bunches of three, hanging around the lockers of Joel Peralta and Rodney before the game. In what may not have been a coincidence, Peralta and Rodney had excellent performances last night, as Peralta struck out a batter in his perfect eighth, while Rodney struck out the side in recording his seventh save of the season. The plantain certainly appeared to have bestowed it’s favor upon both Rodney and Peralta in their outing on Tuesday night.

By now, it seems as though the Mystical Powers of the Plantain could be real, and are certainly not something to take lightly. Credit Rodney for listening to the plantain that had spoken to him, and for spreading the news that the plantain can be an effective weapon in any pitcher’s arsenal. Also, give Maddon credit for recognizing the unstoppable force that is this tropical fruit, and ensuring that it’s blessings are bestowed upon the Rays.

Opponents of the Rays may have more to worry about now than the players taking the field. They may now find themselves battling outside forces that are truly incomprehensible in nature – the plantain.