If You've Eaten A Four-Pound Burger, Of Course You'll Need A Giant Plunger

Still grappling with the media frenzy over its monstrous 5,000-calorie burger, the West Michigan Whitecaps, masters of the metaphor, have installed a giant plunger in the outfield that squirts water on fans.

Whitecaps director of marketing Mickey Graham never thought that he'd be spending the better part of the past two weeks defending a giant hamburger. But the team's Fifth Third Burger, a gargantuan meal to be offered in the Whitecaps' concession area this season, has drawn attacks from both a vegan advocacy group, and the fine folks at PETA. The latter is demanding that the Whitecaps also include a Fifth Third Veggie Burger on its menu.

"Just when you think that the news cycle is over on this, something else comes up," Whitecaps' director of marketing Mickey Graham told me by phone. "Originally we thought this burger idea would be funny, and get people talking for a little while. But we're still getting emails by the hour. Most people love it.

"We don't really expect one person to eat the entire burger," Graham said. "Most people will divide it among the family; chop it up into four pieces."

The Class A, Midwest League team now has a new promotion beyond the outfield wall to compliment the burger: A giant plunger that moves up and down and shoots water onto fans (video here). No word yet on restroom expansion or additional plumbing.

Baseball Park Adds Gargantuan Burger To The Menu [The PETA Files] West Michigan Whitecaps [Official Site]