How Broccoli Guy became the mascot the Mariners didn't know they needed

The Major League Baseball season is over for Seattle this year. But the Mariners say it's only the beginning for their young, rising stars. That includes one super-fan who made a name for himself by going to dozens of games with fistfuls of vegetables.

Even though the Ms didn't go all the way this year, the last few weeks were thrilling. You had J.P. Crawford at shortstop, Jared Kellenic at the plate, and in left field — way left field, like, in the left field bleachers — there was Broccoli Guy.

During some of the most exciting baseball games in Seattle in decades, Broccoli Guy — Jim Allen — became a staple in left field, grooving out with his vegetables.

"You need people to see you dancing. And when they see you dancing, I want the first thing they think is, 'Oh he has broccoli. That's definitely broccoli,'" Allen said before a game against the Angels this month.

"My ideal situation is I don't sit down the entire game. I like pacing around and then whenever a song hits and there's no action, that's when I'm up dancing," he said.

As the Mariners chased a playoff spot late this season, more and more fans filled into the ballpark, each game seeing higher attendance than the last. After 20 years of missing the playoffs (the longest drought in professional baseball), the team wanted to believe 2021 was the year — so much so that they borrowed the Ted Lasso #BELIEVE moto during their final games.

With all of those fans at the ballpark, Allen soon built up quite the following. People, this reporter included, would see him at games and tweet something like, 'Is that guy dancing with broccoli?'

It wasn't just the fans who were drawn to the dancing and vegetables.

"It didn't take long to notice...a gentleman in a onesy dancing with two stalks of broccoli," said Gregg Greene, Vice President of marketing for the Mariners.

Greene said the Mariners fed off the energy from die-hard fans like Allen.

"Down the stretch as the Mariners made the run, Broccoli Guy was right there along with us," he said.

Allen's energy was infectious. During games he would start dance parties in the bleachers, only stopping to take selfies with his fans. Allen said he wanted to spread good vibes like he does for his job as an elementary substitute teacher.

"Spread positive masculinity," Allen said while shaking his broccoli. "Kind of show people a different way men can be."

He said because he’s a teacher, he thinks a lot about sharing a good message and having fun while doing it.

That’s where the broccoli comes in. Allen said the stalks are easy to hold, the heads are bright green.

He calls them nature's pom poms.

And, yes, he does eat them.

"Sometimes if it doesn't get too droopy, one of the things I like to do when the big screen gets on to me is I'll rip of fleurette off and I'll eat it. And that's to encourage people for healthy eating," Allen said.

Allen's been a big Mariners fan for years. He first got hooked the last time the team made the playoffs back in 2001.

"I might have missed 10 games. Like, I watched every game on television, "Allen said. "I dreamed of being a middle reliever and walking out to Smash Mouth songs in seventh grade."

But that dream of being an All Star was more about the big screen than baseball.

"It wasn't so much the pitching," he said. "I was gonna do somersaults out of the bullpen and just look at the camera in funny ways. So to get to do that it's literally a dream come true. I didn't know that it was going to be dancing with broccoli, but here we are."

And this year he was a regular on the jumbotron. Gregg Greene from the Mariners said just like this season felt like the start of a new era for the Mariners, it's the only the beginning for Broccoli Guy.

"He had so much energy and positivity that I hope he comes back next season," Greene said. "I hope we see him a lot next season."

Allen said he will definitely be back next year with his veggies. In the off season, he may an work on his branding.

"I like 'Broccoli Guy' and if people call me that, that's fine, Allen said. "But I really like Broccoli Man though, because I'm a man and it makes me feel like a superhero."

Until then: dance, Broccoli Guy - or Man, dance.