How Humpy the salmon became a Mariners cult icon
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Humpy, one of four Salmon Run mascots at Seattle Mariners home games, last year at T-Mobile Park. Photo: Ben VanHouten/Seattle Mariners/Getty Images
Humpy, a cross-eyed salmon mascot, briefly became a citywide hero during the Seattle Mariners' historic postseason run, which ended Monday with their Game 7 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays.
The big picture: Mariners fans are notoriously superstitious — and the widespread belief that Humpy helped propel the M's to their first American League Championship Series in 24 years is just the latest example.
Catch up quick: The Mariners debuted the Salmon Run last year, in which four humans clad as salmon mascots race during home games at T-Mobile Park.
- Humpy, who wears a life preserver and is known for being slow and clumsy, had never won the event — until Oct. 10, when the Mariners were locked in a do-or-die slugfest against the Detroit Tigers in Game 5 of the American League Division Series.
- Humpy won the second Salmon Run of the night during the 15th inning — and, about 10 minutes later, Jorge Polanco's walk-off hit won the game for Seattle, sending the M's to compete for the American League title against Toronto.
Humpy made victory rounds throughout the city, with Mayor Bruce Harrell declaring Oct. 16 "Humpy Day" in the mascot's honor.
- "There's a little bit of Humpy in all of us," Harrell said at a Mariners rally at City Hall that day.
The other side: But some fans and commentators soured on Humpy after the fish won a second Salmon Run, on Wednesday, — and the Toronto Blue Jays subsequently routed the M's 13-4 that night.
- Seattle then lost to the Jays again in Game 4.
Letting Humpy win twice in a row "is definitely crossing the baseball gods in a way that we simply can't allow," Nathan Bishop, who writes a Mariners Substack newsletter, said in an interview Friday.
- "It's pretty obvious that we need to sacrifice him in order to get the Mariners back going," Bishop said — a sentiment that has also been expressed by others online.
Yes, but: No one thought a Mariners postseason would be smooth sailing.
- Nail-biter finishes, emotional rollercoasters, close calls and heartbreak are part of the franchise's DNA at this point, as any long-suffering M's fan will tell you.
The bottom line: Whether you view Humpy as a good luck charm or a curse, the bumbling salmon mascot has embodied the Mariners' underdog energy this season — for better or worse.