Thursday, 30 May 2013

Pittsburgh Pirates bring actual sharks into the clubhouse in honor of ‘Shark Tank’ bullpen

The Pittsburgh Pirates bullpen has nicknamed itself the "Shark Tank" and this being pro baseball, where a team can really get behind a nickname, the Pirates have brought a shark tank with actual sharks into their clubhouse.

Closer Jason Grilli, who leads MLB with 22 saves, explains the "Shark Tank" idea this way: He and his bullpen mates look for the smell of blood from opposing teams and then go in for the kill. Hey, whatever it takes to mentally prepare a bullpen that contributes to Pittsburgh's league-best 2.72 team ERA.

No, literally, whatever it takes. In this case, actual sharks. The video above from MLB.com gives you a look and MLB.com's Steven Petrella tells us more:

Grilli said he started to look into what kind of sharks can be kept as pets without "putting guys on the DL and losing a finger or an arm." He wound up with a 150-gallon tank — complete with several Pirates figurines, a ship and a skull -- to house a black-and-white-dotted Coral Cat shark, a yellow-striped Banded Cat shark, and a puffer fish, so far. Several more "predatory creatures," as Grilli described them, are on the way.

The tank was donated and customized by Gary Knabe, a Pirates season-ticket holder who owns Elmer's Aquarium and Pet Center in Monroeville, Pa.

"You put some live crab, shrimp, or octopus in there and they go nuts," Grilli said excitedly.

Your move, every other team in the NL Central.

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