Kiké Hernandez is making the Dodgers bananas. At first, the potassium packed fruit was a fun-filled way to get Los Angeles out of a paralyzing 35-inning scoreless streak that tied the longest run drought in franchise history.
What started as a silly gimmick has now moved into a full on marketing scheme, complete with hats, t-shirts, costumes, and pageantry.
It is through chaotic times that heroes emerge from obscurity and it's because of a phallic shaped yellow fruit that 23-year-old super-utility player Hernandez has made a name for himself.
"I said, 'I'm on the bench, I've got to help my team somehow, we've got to come up with something,'" Hernandez said. "So I look around and the first thing I see is a banana and I said, 'This banana is going to be a rally banana.'
"You can call it coincidence," he said, "or you can call it a rally banana."
Hernandez hails from Puerto Rico, (but looks like he's from Palos Verdes), what began as a bench player waving a banana into the air during a rally, morphed into a social media bonanza, complete with memes, costumes and money.
"I can't wear the Del Monte banana suit anymore," Hernandez said begrudgingly. "I signed a contract with Chiquita."
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Chquita Brands International was one of the first companies to reach out to Hernandez back on May 26th when he first introduced the signal to the baseball gods to bring good fortune upon the Dodgers.
For months, Hernandez was merely a mascot when it came to the rally banana, a symbol for it's comeback capabilities, while his teammates knocked in runs. On Wednesday however, it was Hernandez himself who completed the rally.
With the Dodgers trailing 6-3 to the Oakland Athletics in the bottom of the seventh inning, Hernandez came to the plate as a pinch hitter with two on, and two-out, and LA trailing by one. Hernandez hit a double to the gap in left center, scoring both runners, giving the Boys in Blue a 7-6 lead.
"Any time you can contribute and help the team win it's special," Hernandez said of the at-bat. "I was just trying to stay alive, he hung a curveball and I put a good swing on it. It's a good team win."
#RALLYBANANA strikes again! Congrats to our pal @kikehndez for his game-winning double last night. #winning https://t.co/lGEqZFCEkX — Chiquita (@Chiquita) July 30, 2015
After the game, Hernandez was interviewed by Alana Rizzo of Time Warner Sports Net LA. In lieu of the traditional Gatorade shower brought upon players who record game-winning hits, Dodgers outfielder Scott Van Slyke dumped a basket of bananas on Hernandez instead.
The Dodgers welcome their crosstown rivals the LA Angels of Anaheim this weekend and it will be the first time in the history of the Freeway Series that the Rally Monkey meets the Rally Banana.
Fans of the Angels will come to the stadium with stuffed monkeys in tow, whereas fans of the Dodgers will come dressed in full banana suits.
"If this is something that's going to keep going, why not be the first to do it," said two fans wearing banana suits at Dodger Stadium. "We try and make it out to every series. We have to wear them to every game."
It appears the rally banana is here to stay which is great for Hernandez, who continues to conduct his monkey business on the field.
