The Tigers Are On A Roll, And They Owe It All To A Canada Goose

Since humans began playing sports, we’ve used superstitious rituals to change the momentum of a game.

In baseball, fans often turn their caps inside out to improve their team’s luck. In Anaheim, California, the Angels play a video of a monkey dancing to “Jump Around” by House of Pain to reverse the team’s fortunes. In 2015, Los Angeles Dodger Kiké Hernandez became a meme after his “rally banana” helped the Dodgers beat the Braves.

Now, the Detroit Tigers are on a two-game winning streak after embracing the power of the Rally Goose.

During a rain delay on May 30, a Canada goose flew into Comerica Park and took residence in the outfield. When the rain subsided, the grounds crew attempted to scare it off, and it flew directly into an LED scoreboard.

The goose tumbled to the lower bowl, where it was scooped up by a brave fan who actually knew how to hold it safely. She happened to be a veterinarian, Dr. Catherine Roach. Roach escorted the goose off the field and took it to a local hospital to be examined.

Tigers’ pitcher Alex Wilson was happy the goose made it out safely and that it didn’t hurt any fans. He also thought the bird’s visit to Comerica Park may have brought his team good luck.

“I was happy it didn’t land on anybody, cuz those things are bigger than you think,” he told Fox Sports Detroit. “Nothing like a six-foot wingspan squawking at you. But the goose is loose; let’s ride this wave and see where it gets us.”

Later on May 30, Roach went on Fox Sports Detroit to give an update on the goose’s health. “He’s doing really well. He’s actually at the MSU veterinary school,” Roach said. “I drove him up there this morning. They’re going to keep him 24 to 48 hours and then release it into the wild.”

The next day, in a game versus the Los Angeles Angels, the Tigers embraced the power of the goose by letting Roach throw out the first pitch. The Tigers also placed a wooden replica of the goose in the dugout, which seemed to have worked — they beat the Angels 6 to 1.

Rally Goose was released from the veterinary hospital and back into the wild on June 1.