CHICAGO _ Nicky Delmonico gets a kick when someone plants a rubber snake in the White Sox clubhouse to scare a teammate, so he appreciates the next-level pranking that "The Carbonaro Effect" has pulled on unsuspecting Sox fans.
On Thursday night's episode on TruTV, Delmonico and teammate Daniel Palka, another fan of the show, join comedian Michael Carbonaro as they trick customers at a Guaranteed Rate Field hot dog stand.
"Me and Palky watched the show for a long time, and I felt like a little kid. Just being able to be a part of it was really something special," Delmonico said.
The bit involves pouring "press-activated" condiments on a hot dog _ though Carbonaro should know better than to mess with Chicagoans and their condiments.
Carbonaro, in disguise as a mustachioed vendor, explains to a fan that mustard, relish and sriracha sauce can all be dispensed from the same packet through a "chemical change" that's activated by the number of times he presses it.
At the point the fan pulls a moist towelette from one of the packets, Carbonaro walks away and leaves the fan looking confused.
Delmonico has watched Carbonaro fool people with such magic tricks since the show's beginning. His favorite episode involves a Porta Potty. Let's just leave it at that.
"Ever since I've been in minor leagues playing baseball I'm coming in and watching the TV, either 'Impractical Jokers' or 'The Carbonaro Effect,' " Delmonico said. "So I always watched before I got out and play. I'm a really big fan and kind of amazed at his show and what it does. ... It's funny how he gets people to really believe what he's doing."
"The Carbonaro Effect" filmed new episodes in Chicago in September and reached out to the Sox about collaborating. Delmonico found out a day before the show that he and Palka, another big fan of the show, would be making a cameo.
"We kind of have natural pranksters in our clubhouse," Delmonico said.
