It was a birthday to remember for New York Mets manager Buck Showalter, who saw his club thump the San Francisco Giants by a score of 13-3 on Monday.
Showalter turned 66-years-old on May 23, and prior to the Mets' laugher of a victory, in which they banged out 18 hits, the team blindfolded the skipper and brought him into the batting cages at Oracle Park to surprise him with a piñata.
"Fortunately, the didn't blind fold me because spin around was tough especially after being at Coors Field for three days," Showalter joked with reporters."I was spinning around there the whole time."
"They had some old guy on top of the cake, I don't know who that was supposed to be then I figured out it was me. Nah, It was really cool. It was very much appreciated."
When asked if a Mets' win was a sufficient enough gift on his special day, Showalter confirmed that it was just what he wanted.
"Yes," Showalter said. "I hate to say it, but that's pretty much how I evaluate my day everyday, with some exceptions."
Third baseman/Designated hitter J.D. Davis, who collected four hits, two RBIs and two runs scored in this contest, revealed after the game that the team tried getting Shakira to come out to the park for Showalter's birthday. Showalter is admittedly a big fan of Shakira, who visited Citi Field to meet the Mets on May 15.
"A lot of us tried to get Shakira in there, but it was a good day and a good win to get 13 runs and 18 hits for him," Davis said.
Unfortunately, her price tag was too hefty, and shortstop Francisco Lindor shot down the idea.
"It was an idea around the clubhouse, but she was probably too much money," Davis added. "We went to (Francisco) Lindor and asked him, but he said he wasn't going to do it."
Regardless, it was a special day for Showalter, whose team celebrated his birthday with a piñata and a blowout victory over the Giants to improve to 29-15 on the season.
Read More:
- New York Mets' Jeff McNeil Responds to Heckler in Perfect Fashion
- Why New York Mets Infielder Luis Guillorme Should Play Every Day
- MLB Insider Names New York Mets Potential Suitors for Aaron Judge
Follow Pat Ragazzo on Twitter (@ragazzoreport), be sure to bookmark Inside The Mets and check back daily for news, analysis and more.
More must-reads: