Diamondbacks had a good reason for letting a cow on the field Tuesday
Major-league baseball relievers can be an eccentric bunch. Between the odd ways they amuse themselves mid-game, their amusing entrances and creative song choices, relievers are definitely unique. When those bullpen doors swing open, you never really know what you might see.
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That’s part of the reason why no one blinked an eye when a cow emerged from the Arizona Diamondbacks bullpen prior to Tuesday night’s game.
The willing participant came courtesy of Shamrock Farms, who sponsored the contest and donated a tanker truck full of 6,000 gallons of milk to a food bank.
With the cow in position, the three D-backs contenders made their way to the field. Pitchers Andrew Chafin, Archie Bradley and J.J. Hoover went head-to-head in the contest.
The rules were simple. Each player had exactly one minute to get as much milk from the cow as they could. The pitcher with the most milk in their glass jar would be named the winner.
The contestants made sure to dress appropriately for the event.
#Dbacks Archie Bradley sporting the cowboy hat for the contest. pic.twitter.com/PHI7JGKAMH
— Steve Gilbert (@SteveGilbertMLB) May 23, 2017
It sounds like Bradley immediately ran into some trouble after the cow kicked over the jar shortly after he began milking it. That led to a predictable, yet enjoyable, joke.
The cow kicked over the bucket after Archie Bradley started. “Don’t cry over spilled milk” was uttered. #Dbacks
— Steve Gilbert (@SteveGilbertMLB) May 23, 2017
In the end, Hoover managed to walk away with a narrow victory.
It was almost too close to call but JJ Hoover did prevail. pic.twitter.com/50iwE7apfo
— Steve Gilbert (@SteveGilbertMLB) May 23, 2017
He was handed quite a large trophy for his efforts.
#Dbacks JJ Hoover is your Cow Milking Champion. pic.twitter.com/TO6k518Adw
— Steve Gilbert (@SteveGilbertMLB) May 23, 2017
However, Hoover’s win does not come without some controversy. It appears he was somewhat of a ringer. Hoover has not only milked cows before, but he also owns a farm.
#Dbacks Hoover milked a goat 2 yrs ago at Brandon Phillips son’s birthday party. Also owns a farm. pic.twitter.com/19yMMus2KJ
— Steve Gilbert (@SteveGilbertMLB) May 23, 2017
Despite Hoover’s advantage, Chafin and Bradley haven’t filed any complaints just yet. It’s tough to know if they were upset, as it was impossible to tell apart the boos from the moos when the winner was announced.
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Chris Cwik is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at christophercwik@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik