Associated with the Washington Nationals, the Barnyard Pump is a farm themed rally cry with powers beyond explanation.
Evolving from the typical mid-9th inning pump executed by members of the Nationals Entertainment Team to achieve a Nats win, the Barnyard Pump consists of miscellaneous animals with no shame dancing and throwing t-shirts to a newly energized crowd. Some of the animals that have made an appearance include the Geico Gecko, the Chick-fil-A
Cow, a snake, a chicken, a hippo, a giraffe, a cat, a
raccoon, and the Easter
Bunny.
While fans regularly sitting close to section 111 are generally most exposed to the
magic, the mystique is beginning to spread beyond the coveted third base line.
Most notably, a Barnyard Pump was activated each time before Bryce Harper stepped to the plate in the
2018 Home
Run Derby.
Additionally, in the
2018 All-Star
Game, the Barnyard Pump made an appearance just before the bottom of the 9th. Directly following, Cincinnati Reds second baseman Scooter Gennett, representing the trailing National League,
hit a two run home run to tie the
game and send it into extra innings.
No one really knows the origins of the Barnyard Pump, but they do know the potential it possesses.
Other names:
Farmyard Pump
The Infamous Barnyard Pump
When asked how he won the
2018 Home
Run Derby, Bryce Harper explained, “It was definitely because of the Barnyard
Pump.”
