Scott Servais is trying something new — and a certain few people are unhappy about it.
The Mariners manager is growing a mustache in tandem with catcher Cal Raleigh.
“It’s gray, it’s ugly, and I got yelled at as I left the house [Tuesday],” Servais told reporters
But there’s a method behind the skipper’s mustache madness.
Raleigh made a bet with Servais that if he continued his recent hot streak — he has a .914 OPS over his last seven days — that the manager would have to wear a mustache to match with his catcher.
The early returns on Raleigh’s end of the bargain look good. The slugging catcher, who has a .718 OPS on the season and homered on Tuesday and doubled on Wednesday, appeared to celebrate by stroking his mustache at second base.
Servais is no stranger to a whimsical bet.
In 2018, he told then-Mariners closer Edwin Díaz that if he reached 50 saves, Servais would copy Diaz’s eye-catching haircut, which emblazoned a lightning bolt on his head.
After Díaz, who had a 1.96 ERA and 0.79 WHIP that season, reached the mark, the Seattle manager made good on his promise.
Servais may be growing the new mustache to provide his team with a jolt.
The Mariners, who made the playoffs for the first time in 21 years last season, are sitting in fourth place in the AL West with a 33-34 record.
The Seattle skipper isn’t the only one around the clubhouse who’s participating in good-humored bets.
First baseman Ty France and rookie starting pitcher Bryce Miller were both seen holding shiny new cowboy hats on Tuesday, though the qualifications of that bet were unclear.
If Raleigh’s recent performance is any indication, Servais might have to endure some more consternation at home for the good of his team.