In the movie Bull Durham there is a sign in the outfield. It is in the shape of a large bull and says "Hit Bull Win Steak".
It features prominently in this clip from the movie....where "Nuke" learns a valuable lesson:
Of course something similar has to appear in the new Bulls ball park. Several similar things in fact. This is out by the left field foul pole. And indeed, players who hit the bull do get a steak from an adjacent eatery. It is unclear if the salad offer is valid. Like the movie prop it has eyes that light up red and steam the shoots out of the nostrils.
But where is the original movie prop? I understand that it was a decoration somewhere along the first base line for years but has been taken down. The closest I could find was this guy up on the concourse overlooking the entry gate. It is a bull on wheels so probably is taken to events and such. Lets take a robot builder's look at this one.
The eyes light up with standard truck tail lights. I could not work out the mechanism for steam production in detail, some elements were enclosed, but it is probably some kind of fog machine, a reservoir tank, and a fan. That's how I would build it anyway.
Here's what makes the tail go up and down. It features a mechanism called an "eccentric rod" that allows the toothed gear to create smooth up and down motion of the tail which is mounted to the left gear and bearing. Think of how old time locomotives work.
I couldn't quite get a look at the drive motor but suspect it is a 24 volt DC industrial motor. The whole shebang is supposed to be portable, and battery power would be handier than a generator or a need to plug things in.
Below is another Bull. More art than mechanics here but some very nice welding of an enormous number of fender washers....
1 comment:
That movie is 30 years old? Holy cow.
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