Why do St. Louis Cardinals use a hamburger phone in the dugout? Examining the prop powering recent home run frenzy

The St. Louis Cardinals have been one of the most disappointing teams in the MLB this season, however, the introduction of a soon-to-be iconic hamburger phone may have changed their fortunes.

According to pitcher Adam Wainwright in a radio interview with 101 ESPN St. Louis, players are always on the "call", meaning they are predicting a home run for one of their batters. However, the idea for the hamburger phone came from quirky starting pitcher Miles Mikolas.

The thought behind the team using a hamburger phone to make their "calls" actually has more meaning behind it than simply being a fun, campy item. The stadium's home run connection to the hamburger is one of the main reasons for the phone's emergence.

"Pepper grinders are out, 'bows and burgers are in! @UncleCharlie50 joined #TheOpeningDrive for #WednesdayWithWaino talk #STLCards new celebrations & big starts for Flaherty & Liberatore. Waino is presented by @StLouisHeating!" - @101espn

For those who don't know, in Busch Stadium (home of the St. Louis Cardinals), there is a section in the left field stands called "Big Mac Land". If any Cardinals player hits a home run into "Big Mac Land", every fan with a ticket to the game that day is eligible for a free Big Mac from participating McDonald's locations.

While Miles Mikolas came up with the idea of the phone, it was actually 24-year-old St. Louis Cardinals rookie Alec Burleson who went out and found one. The appearance of the phone may have surprised Adam Wainwright the most, who asked Mikolas, "Dude, do they even sell hamburger phones".

"Willson Contreras, um, knew that was gone. He took a long, scenic stroll to watch it. Wonder if anybody called it on the hamburger phone? #stlcards #Cardinals #MLB" - @dgoold

The introduction of the hamburger phone has helped the St. Louis Cardinals begin to turn their season around

Sports are loaded with superstitions that can seemingly change the fortune of a team or spark a playoff run. From the rats of the Florida Panthers to the octopus of the Detroit Red Wings, every team has some good luck charm that may seem odd from afar but captures the hearts of the fans. The hamburger phone may become one of those iconic symbols if the Cardinals can turn their season around.

After opening the season as one of the worst teams in the MLB, the St. Louis Cardinals have won eight of their last ten games, with the home run becoming a focal point of that hot streak. Players such as Nolan Gorman and Nolan Arenado have been massive for the club in the last few games.

"Nolan Arenado just hit his SIXTH homer in his last seven games!" - @MLB

Is this because of the hamburger phone or did the phone simply relieve some of the pressure? No matter what magic the hamburger phone brought to the team, the players have clearly rediscovered some of their playoff forms.