This bug’s for you

In a seemingly mindless early September game 31 years ago today in Kansas City, the Toronto Blue Jays shut out the Royals 5-0.

Open mouth, yawn.

Understandable. Just another victory for the Blue Jays on their way to the first of two straight World Series titles.

Now, the real action on this day takes place after the Tuesday night game at Royals Stadium and out of sight from the exiting crowd of 15,454.

This is when Blue Jays utility player Mike Maksudian, a 26-year-old rookie, collects $800 in cool cash from his teammates who wager he would not eat a live locust.

The locust reportedly is an inch and a half long.

Seemingly no problem for Maksudian, whose eclectic diet reportedly includes grasshoppers, frogs, roaches, moths, and various forms of lizards and aquarium fish.

Perhaps trying to win back some of their money, Maksudian’s teammates then bet him $2,000 to eat a rat.

On the spot. Raw. Uncooked.

Maksudian says thanks, but no. Seems the the locust is his limit.

Turns out Maksudian collects more bugs for dinner than hits for his career in the majors as he plays parts of three seasons with the Blue Jays, Twins and Cubs with a total of nine hits in 41 at-bats.