Baseball, rock and roll, and a trophy that’s a literal guitar? You heard that right! The MLB has officially embraced the ‘Vedder Cup,’ a quirky new rivalry between the Seattle Mariners and the San Diego Padres, all thanks to Pearl Jam frontman and lifelong baseball fanatic, Eddie Vedder. This isn’t your grandma’s silver cup; it’s a 1963 Fender Telecaster, personally ‘energized’ by Vedder himself before being shipped off to T-Mobile Park. [1, 2]
This unique trophy isn’t just for show. Vedder, a former resident of both San Diego and Seattle, wants it played! George Webb, Pearl Jam’s equipment manager, shared that Eddie believes in putting ‘spiritual energy’ into an instrument. So, expect to see this beauty not just sitting on a shelf, but perhaps even getting strummed in the clubhouse after a win. The trophy itself is a work of art, mirroring Vedder’s own Telecaster with a hand-drawn wave, his signature, and even a nod to The Who, his favorite band. [1, 2]
The rivalry itself has some fun new rules for tie-breaking. Beyond the standard run differential, there’s the ‘EV’ factor – short for Exit Velocity, and, of course, Eddie Vedder. If the run differential is even, the team with the highest exit velocity on a hit takes the cup. Pretty cool, huh? [1]
Speaking of big hits, Cal Raleigh of the Mariners has been absolutely on fire, smashing his 50th homer recently against the Padres. This puts him in elite company, joining Mickey Mantle as the only switch-hitters to reach 50 homers in a season. While the Vedder Cup adds a fun new layer to the Mariners-Padres matchups, it’s clear that individual performances like Raleigh’s are still stealing the show. This season is shaping up to be one for the books, blending classic baseball action with a fresh, musical twist. [1, 3]
References
[1] https://www.mlb.com/news/padres-and-mariners-introduce-vedder-cup-trophy-guitar
[2] https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/mariners/pearl-jams-eddie-vedder-tested-guitar-on-new-vedder-cup-trophy/
[3] https://komonews.com/sports/cal-raleigh-homers-seattle-mariners-san-diego-padres-50-home-runs-pitching-hitting-josh-naylor-al-west-lead-t-mobile-park-jp-crawford-houston