In the bottom of the sixth inning of Saturday’s Astros-Diamondbacks game, Houston reliever Collin McHugh was called in from the bullpen to relieve starter Charlie Morton. That is all the detail you’re gonna get, here, because BULLPEN CART BULLPEN CART BULLPEN CART!
Bullpen carts went out of favor among tough-guy relievers in the 90s and were gone altogether after 1995, when the Milwaukee Brewers retired their bullpen motorcycle that season. MLB allowed the return of these wonderful vehicles this season as part of a package of changes designed to shorten the average duration of games, but it took 38 days of baseball before anyone finally used one. McHugh rode the opposition’s bullpen cart straight into history. Per MLB.com:
“That’s what it’s there for,” McHugh told MLB.com. “Technically Brent Strom was the first one to use it coming back from warmups and back to the dugout. I just followed our fearless leader’s lead. They provide it for us, so I figured I would give it a shot.”