Rally Cat
The St. Louis Cardinals' season ended yesterday with a thud, the Redbirds missing the National League playoffs for the third year in a row. I'm pretty much a lifelong Cardinals fan, so that stings. But there is a bright side to all of this, thanks to "Rally Cat," the feral kitten who was living in the cracks and crevices of downtown St. Louis until he wondered into Busch Stadium one evening in 2017 and scampered across the playing surface in the midst of a Cardinals game against the Kansas City Royals. "Rally Cat" captured the hearts of Cardinals fans everywhere, and we now know he went on to find a good home.
St. Louis catcher Yadier Molina, likely a future Hall of Famer, played a central role in the "Rally Cat" drama. Molina was at bat when he spotted something strange scooting across the outfield. Molina pointed his bat at the object, and the game came to a halt as television cameras focused on what broadcasters first through was a squirrel. Here's how a recent report at ksdk.com describes what happened next:
For those who don't remember, the saga of Rally Cat began on August 9, 2017, during a game against the Kansas City Royals at Busch Stadium. The Cardinals down, one run with the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the sixth inning, were interrupted one pitch into Yadier Molina's at-bat by a feral cat darting across the outfield.
There were smiles, there were laughs and there were bite marks, but a grounds crew member successfully swiped the kitten into his arms and into safety. Just one pitch later, Molina blasted a grand slam into the left-field stands.Thus, Rally Cat blossomed from just a cat to a next-level idol.
Yes, the tiny kitten, after taking a few bites out of the grounds-crew member who made the mistake of running while carrying him off the field, seemed to spark a Cardinals' rally. Hence, the name "Rally Cat." Here's more from ksdk.com:
Despite some initial adoption confusion, the St. Louis Feral Cat Outreach took him into their arms for a peaceful retirement from the big stage. Thursday, the outreach provided an update into the life of Rally Cat, saying he was having the time of his life with both his human and kitty friends — even if he is still shy around strangers.
The fine folks at St. Louis Feral Cat Outreach tweeted an update about perhaps the most famous kitty they have ever rescued:
Rally Cat update: RC is enjoying his retirement with his human sibling and kitty best friends.He is still a little shy around strangers, but he's blossomed into a total lap cat with his family.
The video below shows "Rally Cat" in action on the surface of Busch Stadium. And, as you can tell from the photo above, he has turned into a mighty handsome feller -- with a cozy place to call home.