Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh has a rather unique nickname.
Famously (or perhaps infamously) given the moniker "Big Dumper" by former teammate Jarred Kelenic when the two were top prospects in 2020, Raleigh initially was not a fan of the reference to his ... uh, generous backside.
“He hated it at first … hated it,” Kelenic told The Athletic in 2023. “I said just wait … it will come around.”
And come around, it certainly has.
omg Becky, look at that bobblehead
— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) April 3, 2025
????️ https://t.co/bpRba3Cjxn pic.twitter.com/t7D6zY3ygp
The nickname has become a fan favorite among the Mariners faithful.
The Mariners, who offered a Big Dumper seat cushion as a stadium giveaway last season, are doubling down on the Dumper in 2025.
When Raleigh signed a six-year contract extension just before the season opener, Seattle held a Big Dumper Era night on March 28, complete with limited-edition T-shirts.
For the first three games of next week's series against Houston, the M's will give away 10,000 "Platinum Dumper" bobbleheads Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday — a promotion the team teased in a cheeky social post.
No, Raleigh isn't also a successful recording artist, the "platinum" reference comes from the fifth-year catcher winning the 2024 Platinum Glove award, honoring him as the best defensive player in the American League.
Among the list of baseball's best stadium promotions for 2025, the Mariners get credit here for embracing a viral nickname the fans have come to love.
Raleigh solidified himself as a fan favorite when he hit the walk-off home run in 2022 that broke Seattle's 21-season playoff drought — a blast that became memorialized on a viral T-shirt that, of course, featured his colorful nickname.
Perhaps the biggest seal of approval comes from Raleigh himself, who has done a total 180 on the nickname he once disliked.
“I love it. I think it’s great,” Raleigh told The Athletic. “My mom had other opinions about it. But it’s good. It gets the fans involved and they have fun with it. And that is what it’s all about. It’s a good time.
“You got to own it, embrace it. As long as you’re having fun with it, that’s what baseball is all about. As long as it brings good energy and vibes it’s all good.”
Kevin Jackson is the Chief Content Officer for cllct, the premier company for collectible culture.