Yankees dousing Bronxie the Turtle with champagne was wild

Though the New York Yankees had a chance to clinch a playoff berth as early as … well, about 1:30 AM on Saturday morning, once the Seattle Mariners lost their series opener, it took all the way until the final regulation inning of the final game of the season Sunday evening.

Was all the stress worth it? Not sure.

Well, what if we told you that, as a stress-reliever, you now got to watch the Yankees douse a pet turtle in champagne, while Aaron Judge kind of, sort of smirked at the camera in an effort to get it to pan away?

Yeah, now we’re talking. Worth every minute.

A Yankees regular season unlike any other could only be capped by something as classically non-Yankees as a beloved team pet, a positively Boston-esque superstition to be bringing into postseason play.

But, despite faltering on Friday and Saturday, this roster has still done a lot of good during the Bronxie the Turtle Era, and the little guy felt the full brunt of the celebration on Sunday night.

The Yankees doused Bronxie the Turtle in champagne during their clinch celebration.

Imagine how slowly a hungover turtle moves?

Nestor Cortes Jr. has contributed so much to the 2021 season, and will someday settle into the role he was born to play: El Duque impersonator on a very good team, as opposed to the role of “No. 2 starter” he embodied this year.

Perhaps his most lasting contribution was the adoption of Bronxie, who arrived just prior to the team’s final home series against the Texas Rangers, just before their playoff push began in earnest on the road in Boston and Toronto. Though the turtle wasn’t allowed north of the border, we’ve been led to believe he’s been through it all on American soil. That includes rollicking in the Fenway clubhouse, sitting patiently while the team beat the Blue Jays in the biggest series of the year, then getting covered in bubbly as the Rays finally went down for the count.

He even posed for one picture with the whole squad — which was, as the hashtag foretold, ready. Check him out in the front, being hugged by Rougned Odor and Joely Rodriguez.

https://twitter.com/Yankees/status/1444822151182397442?s=20

Don’t worry, though, everybody. The team got all their partying out of their system early Sunday evening — got to love that 3:00 PM start as opposed to a night game.

Hopefully, by the time Tuesday night rolls around, they’ll be freshly recharged, ready to wreak havoc yet again at Fenway Park, even though there’s a 0% chance Giancarlo Stanton gets a single pitch to hit this time around.

According to Odor, Bronxie should be there, too, after making it through the 24-hour champagne diet unscathed.

Perhaps a little sticky, sure, but this lil’ bugger knows how to party.

Hopefully, the luck doesn’t rub off in the shower with the champagne residue.

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