All-Star closer's Persian cat steals the show on her personal red carPET

ATLANTA -- At this rate, Andrés Muñoz might not be the most famous member of his household.

The Mariners closer’s 14-year-old Persian cat, Matilda, has become a social media celebrity among fans in the Pacific Northwest region, but her best content yet was released on Tuesday ahead of the All-Star Game at Truist Park.

Muñoz quite literally rolled out the red carpet for Matilda from his hotel room, with help from the Mariners’ social media team on site and his wife, Wendy, who was in Atlanta for the right-hander’s second straight selection to the Midsummer Classic.

Muñoz had pondered the possibility of bringing Matilda down the actual red carpet ceremony with the rest of the All-Stars at The Battery Atlanta, to the point where the club was checking with MLB to see if it was allowed. But Muñoz opted not to due to the logistical challenges, the extreme heat and humidity and the large crowd that could impact how Matilda would react.

“It means a lot, because this tells you the impact that she is having in a positive way, of how you can change the life of a pet,” Muñoz said. “Whatever it is -- cat, dog -- but how much you can change it. You just give them love, and it's very cool to see that.”

But the fan-catstic content didn’t stop there.

Muñoz was also gifted a custom glove from 44 Pro for the All-Star Game with an image of Matilda stitched on. The mitt features navy leather to match his road Mariners jersey, with a cartoon version of Matilda’s face -- jokingly grouchy because of her natural expression -- on the webbing of the glove, with white paw prints on the outer finger and the Mexican flag on the inner finger.

The glove was so brand new that he still had to break it in, but he had full intention of using it if he wound up pitching in Tuesday’s game.

“It's very special for me,” Muñoz said, “because we know how much change it's been for her, how different it is for her right now. I don't know how many years she went through a really bad condition. Then seeing her here, enjoying everything here, it's really good to see that.”

Muñoz and Wendy adopted Matilda a few years ago in his hometown of Los Mochis, Mexico.

“As soon as we got here, it was really bad, because we were not able to get close to her,” Muñoz said. “We were not able to pet her. And I don't know if you see right now in some of the videos, we are able to pet her, we are able to play a little bit with her. So it's been really a lot of change that she's having, and we know that with all the love that we give to her, she's going to continue to get better.”

The shareable images of Matilda have been super fun for Muñoz on a more surface level, and a way for fans to see his extremely gentle side that contrasts with his flamethrowing persona. Because on the mound, he’s blossomed into one of the sport’s best leverage relievers, entering the All-Star break tied for fourth among relievers with a 1.50 ERA and tied for fifth in saves with 21.

But he boasts the most benevolent personality in the Mariners’ clubhouse, and his love for Matilda -- and cats on a grander level -- is an all-encompassing encapsulation of that.

“This year, we're sharing it a little bit more,” Muñoz said. “But we always try to do those kinds of things. And it's really great, how a little bit with what you do, how much you can help. So I just try to do it every time that I can, and even probably inspire somebody else to do that too.”

Earlier this season, Muñoz partnered with a local cat shelter -- Seattle Area Feline Rescue (SAFe) -- and auctioned off an experience package that included tickets to a Mariners game, passes to batting practice and a meet-and-greet with Muñoz. The effort raised nearly $15,000 through the auction and other donations, and the rescue received a number of other gifts from the community through other giving platforms that mentioned Muñoz. He's also attending an adoption event with the rescue this Saturday once he's back in Seattle.

Shortly after, the Mariners created a custom T-shirt of Muñoz and Matilda mimicking a movie poster that read, “Fast and Furriest” -- and at least one was spotted at the All-Star Game.

As Muñoz’s public profile grows, so too does Matilda’s -- reaching the sport’s biggest stage with her latest act.