Baseball teams sometimes rely on quirky symbols to spur a comeback when losing. The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim turn to the rally monkey, and the St. Louis Cardinals use the rally squirrel.
For Ohio (22-18, 11-4 Mid-American Conference), the good-luck charm is Rally Rollie, the detached head of a dummy that pitchers used in the bullpen to gauge the strike zone.
Bobcats’ starter Brent Choban is the brains behind Rollie. He said that the dummy’s name was Ronnie the RedHawk — based on the rivalry with Miami — but as the team struggled in the early part of the season, the transition to Rally Rollie happened.
“We were struggling a little bit as a team,” Choban said. “I wanted something to get the team behind or help us as a little guru.”
Choban said the team adds more to Rollie every so often. Currently, he sports eyes, hair, sideburns, an Ohio batting helmet and a mustache like his namesake, baseball Hall of Fame reliever Rollie Fingers.
Choban said that more will be added to Rollie, and he is open to suggestions from teammates.
“It’s something that gets us in the game. When we need some runs or we need a big inning, we bring him out,” Choban said.
Choban said he feels like after initially not buying into Rollie, the team has begun to accept his place in the dugout.
Rollie was created during the first loss in the Eastern Michigan series. In conference play, the Bobcats have won 10 of their last 11 MAC games.
“I don’t know if coach (Joe Carbone) believes in all that, but I do, and I know some people on the team do,” Choban said. “He respects it, and I think he is starting to buy into it a little bit.”
Carbone said he just tries to keep Rollie out of the way — the players like to perch him on the dugout steps.
Carbone said he is fine with the idea of having something like Rollie in the dugout. If it works, it’s great for the team.
“Whatever pulls their chain,” Carbone said. “Pitchers, they are a different breed, so I don’t try to battle them too much. I always lose.”
Ohio’s four-game winning streak came to an end Tuesday against Eastern Kentucky. The Bobcats’ next series is a road test against Bowling Green.
Choban (6-2) will take the mound in Friday’s contest, followed by Jason Moulton on Saturday and Seth Streich on Sunday.
Jensen Painter will look to extend his season-long streak of safely reaching base. He has accomplished the feat in 40 straight games.
nr225008@ohiou.edu
