A Story Idea Each Day for a Month — Day 27

This is the 13th year in a row I’ve run this series in April. Why a story idea each day for the month? Because the best way to come up with a great story idea is to come up with a lot of ideas. And the best way to come up with a lot of ideas is to be proactive in sourcing story ideas.

Today’s story: Mets’ secret weapon Donnie Stevenson returns.

The Mets’ mythical hitting coach is back.

Donnie Stevenson, originally the alter ego of Pete Alonso, became a reality on Thursday when the Mets first baseman posted an Instagram video pf the legend himself.

“Donnie Stevenson here,” the mustachioed figure said. “That’s right ladies and gentlemen. I’m the real deal. I am alive I exist. Now we’re here at pregame at Citi Field. And the Mets are taking batting practice. Taking some Donnie Diesel advice. See it, believe it, achieve it. Let’s go Mets.”

Stevenson, played by “Young Rock” actor Brett Azar, was dressed in the typical “Stevenson” attire: a bandana and sunglasses, and a handlebar mustache-goatee combo.

Imagine a professional baseball team. Like my beloved New York Mets. They are in a terrible slump having lost fifteen games in a row.

Now imagine there is a super fan. A super obnoxious fan. Let’s go ahead and call him Dangerous Donnie. He’s all over sports talk radio belching his opinions and suggestions on how to fix the Mets. He riles up so much support from other fans, the team’s general manager invites Donnie for an official meeting. Could you tone it down a bit? Donnie’s daily outbursts have provoked a lot of media attention. Donnie uses this as a power ploy: Sure, I’ll tone it down. As soon as you let me sit on the team’s bench.

One things leads to another and there he is: Donnie, dressed in a Mets uniform, sitting on the team’s bench. Nobody on the team knows what to make of it, don’t much like it. But when Pete Alonso, star first baseman, himself caught up in a horrendous batting slump, comes up to bat, and Donnie gives him some seemingly dumb advice — Close your eyes and swing at the first pitch — and Pete does that, connecting with a home run, player attitudes begin to shift.

The Mets win breaking their losing streak.

Donnie is invited back the next day. They win again. And again. Suddenly, they on a hot streak.

Imagine what that would be like for Donnie. The players not only want him to be part of the team, but each vies to have Donnie sit next to them in the locker … travel with them to and from the stadium … eat with them … convinced that Donnie can bring his special brand of luck to them and their individual performances.

Then there are the New York Yankees. There’s a big inner city series coming up and their owner is none too happy about the Mets dominating local media with their winning streak (23 Games in a Row!). Plans are afoot to kidnap Donnie. Which happens. And now the Mets are all about rescuing him.

You see where this is going. Hijinks and mayhem ensue.

There you go, my 27th story in this month’s series. What would YOU do with it? Other stories in this year’s A Story Idea Each Day for a Month:

Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Day 7
Day 8
Day 9
Day 10
Day 11
Day 12
Day 13
Day 14
Day 15
Day 16
Day 17
Day 18
Day 19
Day 20
Day 21
Day 22
Day 23
Day 24
Day 25
Day 26

Each day in April, I invite you to join me in comments to do some brainstorming. Take each day’s story idea and see what it can become when we play around with it. These are valuable skills for a writer to develop.