This year, Ebay almost ruined Father’s Day for our family.
It all started in late April. We were watching a Seattle Mariners game on MLB.com, when the team advertised a cool giveaway for an upcoming game.
The Cal Raleigh Funko Pop.
(Cue the cheering, please.)
In case you don’t know what I’m talking about, I’ll explain. A Funko Pop is a pint-sized collectible with a disproportionately large head and oversized eyes. There are thousands of unique Funko Pops based on characters from popular shows and video games, as well as sports and entertainment figures. They’re pure cuteness and nostalgia.
This particular Funko Pop is based on Cal Raleigh, the catcher for the Mariners and my husband’s all-time favorite player. Cal is beloved by the Mariner faithful for his hard work, toughness, and calm demeanor, as well as his memorable nickname. “Big Dumper,” according to the New York Times, was affectionately coined by a former teammate to describe the size of Raleigh’s backside.
When we saw a promotional video with that adorable Funko Pop beside Big Dumper for a day of baseball – in the dugout, on the field, at a press conference – we had to be among the first 20,000 fans at the giveaway game.
We’re talking about Lil Dumper, for crying out loud!
But T-Mobile Park isn’t exactly in Spokane, and we already had plans that day. So, the kids and I settled for tracking down the collectible online after the game and ordering it as a surprise gift for their dad.
I warned him not to open any emails from Ebay because we’d ordered something for him. He didn’t open anything, of course, but he did get an email with this excessively specific subject line:
“Your 2024 Seattle Mariners Cal Raleigh Funko Pop SGA 5/3/24 just shipped.”
Thank you, Ebay.
We were busted, and the kids were disappointed. Lucky for us, there was still time to shop for another surprise before Father’s Day, and my middle school son was the one who found it.
A T-shirt with the words “Big Dumper” printed across the chest.
My husband was genuinely surprised when he opened that gift, and in the end, his day wasn’t ruined at all. He got something from the kids that he can wear proudly (if selectively), and his co-workers and friends have something to give him a hard time about.
Best of all, we got Lil Dumper.
Which may just be the Mariners’ biggest win all season.
by John Mraz