SEATTLE — The Mariners may have been playing in Toronto Saturday, but fans still brought the energy to T-Mobile Park, in Seattle's SoDo neighborhood. Streaming into seats for a hometown watch party, they brought high hopes for a Mariners win, and received one, but only after a nail-biting start to the game.
At the watch party, a contender for a new tradition was born -- as fans launched the "shoe rally," putting shoes on their head -- shortly before the game took a hard turn toward a Mariners win.
Ben Cox was featured on the Jumbotron with a shoe on his head -- and it quickly caught on.
"I gotta' give credit where credit's due," Cox said. "I saw a Mariners fan put his shoe on his head and the tides turned so when we were down and looked pretty bleak I said you know what, I'll put the shoe on the head. So I took the sandal off and put it on my head and it was hilarious."
The "#ShoeRally" hashtag spread across social media as the trend spread through T-Mobile Park.
"I was giggling the whole time, I kept talking to my wife and then my brother-in-law and I was like, guys, are you seeing how many people have their shoes on their head? They were like, 'Ben, this could be legendary if we win,'" Cox said. "I was like, do it, and they did."
Whether the "shoe rally" will catch on long-term remains to be seen. For now, Cox is focused on the success of his team.
"I'm so excited to watch the boys at home and hopefully I get to watch them perform like they did on this stage," Cox said. "The only message is, keep playing your game guys, you have what it takes. You have a great coach, you have the players you need- just keep performing."