The Yankees brought their live pet turtle to Fenway for their wildcard matchup against the Red Sox
- The New York Yankees have a new good luck charm: a live turtle.
- Pitcher Nestor Cortes Jr. bought the unofficial mascot, named Bronxie, from a local pet store.
- The turtle traveled with players to Boston for Tuesday's wildcard game against the Red Sox.
The New York Yankees are in Boston for the American League Wild Card game against their rival Red Sox.
The Bronx Bombers' hopes of progressing in the MLB postseason are on the line in the single-elimination grudge match Tuesday night. So they're looking for any advantage they can get - even a new, pint-sized good luck charm.
Meet Bronxie the turtle.
Named after the historic baseball franchise's local nickname, Bronxie is a live turtle who found his way into the Yankees' clubhouse a few weeks ago. Pitcher Nestor Cortes Jr. bought the little guy from a local pet store in the Bronx, and ever since he crawled slowly into the picture, the team has been on a tear.
Players even wore Bronxie-inspired turtle t-shirts to batting practice ahead of the team's Friday home matchup against the Tampa Bay Rays.
Then, after the Yankees had clinched a spot in the Wild Card game with a dramatic win against the Rays on Sunday, Bronxie joined the team as they celebrated with champagne showers. Insider could not confirm whether the turtle got his own tiny pair of protective goggles.
The players aren't the only ones who've gone all-in on the Bronxie hype. Team manager Aaron Boone bought in, too, referring to the turtle as "a cute little guy" ahead of a game last week.
After the whole team posed with the shelled fella following the celebrations on Sunday, the franchise shared the photo on its official Twitter account, with the caption, "For Bronxie."
Now, Bronxie has left New York state for Tuesday's crucial game against the Yankees' fiercest rivals. Cortes Jr. was spotted walking into Fenway Park with a coffee in one hand and a transportable turtle habitat in the other. Bronxie was basically just one of the guys:
The Yankees are about to find out whether Bronxie's lucky touch can carry them to a full playoff series. The American League Wild Card game begins Tuesday at 8:08 p.m. ET, and fans can tune in on ESPN.