More often than not, Keith Hernandez lets the intrusive thoughts win.
When he isn’t drooling over the Texas Rangers cheerleaders or accidentally tweeting out Tucker Carlson videos during lengthy rain delays, the longtime color analyst for the New York Mets on SNY thinks about ways to take down Grimace.
In the span of just a few weeks, mainly after the beloved purple McDonald’s character threw out the first pitch, The Mets have dramatically flipped the script. New York has turned its dismal season around. After being a whopping 11 games under .500, they’ve clawed their way back to .500. They’ve done so through the power of friendship — and Grimace.
But that doesn’t mean Hernandez hasn’t fantasized about taking matters into his own hands. It’s not to say that there’s any beef between Hernandez and Grimace — or The Hamburglar, for that matter — but sometimes the intrusive thoughts during a Sunday day game in the summer take over.
And as PIX 11’s cameras found an inflatable Grimace in the stands during the top of the seventh inning of Sunday’s contest, Hernandez let a thought pop into his head. And while he probably would’ve been better off not saying it aloud, that isn’t who he is. Hernandez says whatever comes to mind, and if that’s related to popping an inflatable costume that displays everyone’s beloved new mascot of the New York Mets — then so be it.
“It’s the inflatable Grimace,” Mets play-by-play voice Gary Cohen said.
“Oh, is it?” asked Hernandez. “Wouldn’t you just love to have an ice pick and pop it, Gare?”
“Wouldn’t you just love to have an ice pick and pop it, Gare?” – Keith Hernandez, letting the intrusive thoughts win here: pic.twitter.com/wWPiH0KCQZ
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) June 30, 2024
Cohen is by no means a Grimace popper.
“I would love to do it,” Hernandez added when asked about being a Grimace popper himself.
And based on Grimace being the team’s good luck charm — other than Latin pop sensation Jose Iglesias — there’s no way Mets fans would love for that to happen. That’s even with Hernandez being one of the most beloved members of one of baseball’s most beloved booths.
Perhaps we should keep ice picks out of Hernandez’s reach.
Like Gary Cohen, we love how Hernandez’s mind immediately goes to skinning the Grimace.
Never change, Keith.
