One bat is called Orcrist the Goblin Cleaver and the other is Hrunting. Dickey, an avid reader, said that Orcrist came from “The Hobbit.” Hrunting — the H is silent, Dickey said — came from the epic poem “Beowulf”; it is the sword Beowulf uses to slay Grendel’s mother.
Because we needed just one more reason to love R.A. Dickey, he goes out and names his bats Orcrist the Goblin Cleaver and Hrunting.
I mean, come on, is this some sort of massive scheme – orchestrated by a genius PR firm - for Mets fans to fall in love with this man over and over again?
If so, it’s working.
If not, it’s still working.