The last time Alan Miller saw him, he was dancing in the Dominican Republic. It was the last night of the collegiate baseball team's trip to the island for the Caribbean Series, and Dillon was free. Ross Campbell broke the news that one of the most popular members of the team hadn't made it home when Miller returned to Oregon.
Miller says thatRoss sent them a text saying that he got a weird message from Delta. He had to travel through New York. At that point, we're okay with it. I'm certain it's okay.
All was not okay. He was stuck in New York City with no money or phone. Act 1 of his journey was when he was lost by Delta. Seventeen days of untold dangers lay ahead for the lonely fellow who, since 2015, has made a career of entertaining fans as they enjoy America's pastime.
illon is very strong. Chris Matthews is the president of The Briners, a season-ticket holder and a fan of the Pickles. The town stopped when he went away.
It is important to mention that the summer wooden-bat team's mascot is a 7-foot- tall pickle named Dillon, but he is more than that. Portland is known for its dedication to all things weird and wonderful.
He is the first chair in the symphony of merry absurdity that can be found inside Walker Stadium.
stay weird and get pickled, Portland pic.twitter.com/zx9wHdruwb
— Portland Pickles (@picklesbaseball) July 4, 2022
It was with bated breath that fans and the Pickles' staff waited for Delta to give them an update on the well-being of their beloved pickles.
Campbell says that they reported him missing to Delta as soon as they got to Portland. When we weren't getting any traction, we took it to social media and Delta responded and got on it.
After a week, he was on his way back across the U.S. after being crushed in an anonymous black duffel bag in a fluorescent-lit sea of other anonymous black duffels.
There was a crucial detail that was lost in the shuffle, but it was the location of the Pickles' office, which is a converted historic home.
Just before the light of day could reach his tired, briny eyes, his nightmare became worse. At 4:58 a.m. on February 9, the doorbell camera at the Pickles' office shows a man wearing a backpack, headphones, a beanie, and a mask walking up the porch steps, picking up the bag and walking away. The thief thought he had taken jewelry, electronics or designer clothes, but instead he had taken the world's most valuable pickle.
A very disappointing twist. Dillon was found by @Delta and delivered to our office after hours, with no notification. At 4:58AM, this person stole him off the front porch. This is turned from a mistake by @Delta to a crime. https://t.co/6QtEikCcfP pic.twitter.com/D3mBhSdUxS
— Portland Pickles (@picklesbaseball) February 9, 2022
Miller says that the video was put out to ask for help in Portland. At some point someone is going to say or know something if we put enough pressure on the person. You don't just steal a 7-footer and not tell your friends about it.
There was also an echo of skepticism that would seem out of place to anyone unfamiliar with the Pickles.
I was initially wondering what they were doing. Is this a real thing or a fake? Matthews said it. At times, they draw attention to the team and the player when he is alone on the internet.
If, up until this point, you've felt a tug of recognition about this small summer league baseball team, it might be because less than a month before this saga began, the team became late-night talk-show fodder and the social media topic of the day. The picture the team claims is a thumbs-up was misinterpreted by the public and was used as a mascot.
He gave a thumbs up. Miller doesn't know what he was intending. He's naive and you have to understand that. He's learning his way in the world and he's just a big pickles.
The search began after the community learned that it was a real crime. Although a detective was never assigned to the case, his photo and a missing alert appeared on the jars of the team sponsor. Local bars held search events where fans and concerned citizens gathered mostly to drink but also to walk through the park and see if anyone had dumped a large pickle into a bush somewhere.
According to the police report filed by Campbell, the team's estimate is about $1,000 per pickle foot. Several local companies, including Voodoo Doughnut, came together to offer rewards for safe returns.
A good citizen dropped off the most sought-after piece of luggage at a Voodoo Doughnut 6 miles from the scene of the original crime after the kidnapping of Dillon. According to the local news, some kids were playing with the bag on the bus, and that's when the person who saved the town went to look at it. He saw a glimpse of gherkin green and knew it was there.
He didn't leave a name or a number, either unaware of or interested in the various rewards, which is another mystery in the saga.
I wanted to know if Ross was sitting down. "Dillon just got dropped off," said Shaina Hill. It just came out of the blue and he was ecstatic.
Campbell and the rest of the team were very happy with the safe return.
Miller said that he had burn marks. He smelled like he had been smoking a lot. It looked like the journey to hell for Dillon.
A news conference was held in front of the shop where he was found. He looked like he had spent a week undergoing a violent interrogation.
Campbell exclaimed, "I'm happy to announce, I'm very happy to announce, that the man is recovered." He has a couple Band-Aids on, but we can just put him back into the jar to replenish his powers. He will be out of the hospital for a while. It's obvious that he's been through a lot, and that it's been a traumatic experience for him.
He is a pickle and has not been able to speak to his friends or teammates about his experience. The team hopes to help him work through his trauma this off-season, but he seems happy to be back in his hometown.
Things are still not back to normal.
He's a little different now. He is a bit hardened. Miller says that eight days on the streets of Portland is a serious thing. He has been very different this year. We may not be able to contain it much longer because he is way off-script.
He was just an innocent gherkin who loved baseball and summer. He tackled a streaker, threw concessions in the face of a rival fan, got too into pro wrestling night, and gave a fake high-five to the opposing team.
"I don't want to say that Dillon's flipped over to the dark side, but I think he might be flipping over to the dark side and that's what it feels like," Matthews says. You will get the brine if you mess with Dillon.
Even though he has a lot of recovery ahead of him, the team assures him that he will never ride in cargo again. It is hoped that it will never again have a dry cleaner ask for a deposit for the daunting task of restoring the lovely, vinegary scent to a person who otherwise smelled like bong water.
The Pickles finished the season with a 36-18 record and made the playoffs for the first time in three years. Eddie Saldivar Jr. hit a three-run home run in the seventh to tie the game, and they went on to win the second game. chairs and babies were raised, the rally gator soared, and for two more frames, hope was abundant in Walker Stadium.
It wasn't enough for the Pickles to win. Although a championship would have been a fitting end to the season, he seems content just to be back among his friends and working out.
The community is trying to make things fun for everyone. If you're interested in baseball, come out, and if you're not, just party with us.
Baseball's greatest comeback stories are usually the result of an injury or a slump, but Dillon has redefined the genre by coming back from the precipice of tragedy to his post as pied piper of Portland's prized Pickles. As the sun sets on another season for the team, his story serves as a reminder to hold your loved ones close and your food close.
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