EASTLAKE, Ohio — If there's one thing sports fans love, it's a comeback story.
Imagine being at the height of your profession. The fame, the glory, the spotlight. You're invincible. You have it all.
Could you bear to lose it? How would you deal with having to start anew from square one?
That's the reality the racing hot dog Mustard was faced with when he was optioned from the Cleveland Guardians to the High Single A Lake County Captains on Monday.
Mustard had failed to win any of the 50 Sugardale Hot Dog races he participated in at Progressive Field in the 2022 season.
So down he went to Lake County to get back to the basics. Back to the fundamentals. Working on the mental side of the game. All for a chance to reclaim the glory that has eluded the tangy condiment on the corner of Carnegie and Ontario.
Tuesday night marked Mustard's first opportunity to make amends with not only the Guardians organization, but the unyielding supporters who never gave up on him. And many of those fans were on hand at Classic Park to show their support.
"Mustard all day everyday!" said Pete Titas, quite possibly Mustard's #1 fan.
Glen Roth, Mustard mega-fan, told 3News, "I don't even care if the world ends tonight. I just want this guy to win."
The supporters showed up. It was time for Mustard to show up as well.
Mustard lined up next to three tacos poised to make a name for themselves against the struggling vet. As the race started, Mustard found himself behind the competition yet again.
But Mustard wouldn't be denied, after a questionable scuffle on the race path, Mustard found himself victorious in his first race at Classic Park. He's still got it.
Tuesday night, Mustard fired the first salvo in his redemption story.
Sure it was dollar dog night, dollar beer night and dollar pop night at Classic Park. The detractors and non-believers will tell you that that's why the race happened in front of a packed house.
No, it wasn't the hot dogs, the beer, the soda that people wanted. Not really. What they wanted was redemption.
More Mustard Headlines: