Ace (Toronto)
Ace is the official mascot of the Toronto Blue Jays. He, along with his female counterpart, "Diamond" replaced former mascot BJ Birdie before the 2002 season as a mascot duo. Like his predecessor, Ace resembles a large Blue Jay. The mascot's name is baseball slang for a team's top starting pitcher (the "ace" of the staff, such as former Blue Jays pitcher Roy Halladay).
In 2004, Ace became the sole mascot of the team after Diamond was removed by the Blue Jays prior to the start of the season.
Bernie Brewer (Milwaukee)
The Bernie Brewer character became the team's mascot in 1973, appearing as a cheerful man with a big mustache. A beer-barreled chalet was built for him inside the stadium where he led the crowd cheering. Following each home run and every victory by the Brewers, he would slide down and plunge himself into a huge beer mug in celebration. He was joined by a companion Bonnie Brewer, who would playfully swat at the backside of the opposing team's third base coach with a broom as the field crew swept the base paths.
Bernie Brewer was a fixture at Brewers home games until 1984, when the Brewers re-built the bleachers, replacing the chalet with a sound tower and sending Bernie into retirement. By popular demand, Bernie Brewer came out of his retirement in 1993, when the fans voted for his return. Bernie was brought back not as just a mustachioed man in lederhosen, but a full-body costume of a man, including large foam head. The chalet was then rebuilt (it had been in storage on the third base side under the box seats) above the left-center field bleachers. The original beer mug that Bernie used to slide into is still in Milwaukee, Wisconsin as part of the Lakefront Brewery, Inc. tour.
Billy The Marlin (Florida)
Billy The Marlin is the official mascot of the Florida Marlins. Resembling a marlin with limbs, he can be seen at every Marlins home game. He competes in a waterboat race, which is a computer-animated video shown on the screen, during each game. The name, picked by original team owner Wayne Huizenga, is derived from the fact that a marlin is a Billfish, and Huizenga wanted a name that was different from the baseball type names of other mascots (like Slider and Sluggerrr) and one that children could remember more easily. On Mothers Day and Father's Day, Billy is joined by his parents, Bill Sr. and Betty the Marlin. Billy is also seen at games dancing with kids on the field in between innings and making special appearances in the Fan Zone.
On Opening Day of 1997, the year the Marlins won their first World Series Championship, a Navy Seal who was parachuting into Sun Life Stadium (then known as Pro Player Stadium) as Billy, lost the head in mid-air. While the crowd was unaware of the problem, media outlets had been alerted to Billy's parachute entrance. When he didn't arrive, the media ran with the story, getting national attention and leading to ESPN's Dan Patrick's nightly quote, "Bring me the head of Billy the Marlin!"
The original Billy The Marlin was John Routh, who spent 10 years (1993–2002) entertaining Marlins fans.[1] Routh previously portrayed the University of Miami mascots, Sebastian the Ibis and The Miami Maniac from 1983–1993, and prior to that, Cocky for the University of South Carolina Gamecocks.
The Bird (Baltimore)
The Baltimore Orioles mascot, The Bird, with a rival fan
The Oriole is the official mascot of the Baltimore Orioles and is a cartoon version of the bird of the same name. The Bird was "hatched" on April 6, 1979 out of a giant egg at Memorial Stadium in Baltimore. According to Orioles.com, The Bird's favorite foods are bird seed and the Maryland Crab Cake.
Captain Jolly Roger (Pittsburgh)
Captain Jolly Roger serves as a second mascot for the Pittsburgh Pirates. He is a cartoon version of a pirate, dressed in a captain's outfit. The name was derived from the flag that is flown by pirates, the Jolly Roger.
D. Baxter the Bobcat (Arizona)
Baxter the Bobcat is the mascot for the Arizona Diamondbacks. He joined the team in 2000. His full name is D. Baxter the Bobcat.
The origin of the name and what the mascot would be was created by Jay Bell's son, Brently. Jay Bell was one of the original players on the Diamondbacks 1998 inaugural season roster. Brently came up with the name D. Baxter the Bobcat from two sources, first "D. Baxter" from the team's short name: "The D-Backs" (D-Backs to D. BAXter), and the Bobcat from the original name of the stadium where the Diamondbacks play. Today called Chase Field, was once called Bank One Ballpark, everyone came to nickname the stadium "BOB" and the "BOBcat" became the mascot, as Bobcats are prevalent throughout Arizona.
Dinger (Colorado)
Dinger at Coors Field.
Dinger is the official mascot of the Colorado Rockies. He is an anthropomorphic purple triceratops. The choice of a dinosaur, specifically this type, was inspired by the discovery of a number of dinosaur fossils—most notably a 7-foot-long (2.1 m), 1,000-pound (450 kg) triceratops skull—at Coors Field during its construction. His name "Dinger" is one of many slang terms for a home run.
The Rockies triceratops is often seen on the field before and after the game and roaming around the stadium during the game. He has been the Colorado Rockies biggest fan since he first hatched from his egg at Mile High Stadium on April 16, 1994 [1]. Dinger works year-round promoting physical fitness and literacy for thousands of elementary school students in the Rocky Mountain Region. He acts out his own Dinger Story for the kids. He also makes appearances at The Children's Hospital and Denver Health. He makes appearances at Rockies events including the 5K Home Run, and the Rockies Rookies Kids Fan Club.[2]
Fredbird (St. Louis)
Fredbird entertaining the crowd between innings during a Cardinals game at Busch Stadium.
Fredbird is the official mascot for the St. Louis Cardinals. He is an anthropomorphic cardinal wearing the team's uniform. A person dressed up as Fredbird can often be found entertaining young children during baseball games at Busch Stadium. His name is derived from "Redbird", a synonym for the cardinal bird and for the Cardinals themselves.
Fredbird was introduced in 1979 by the Cardinals, then owned by Anheuser-Busch, to entertain younger fans at the games. He quickly became popular with fans for his dancing, habit of "beaking" the heads of supporters, and for throwing t-shirts into the stands. In later years, he has been joined by "Team Fredbird", a group of young women employed by the club who help him with his t-shirt toss and occasionally in other duties. He is one of baseball's best-known mascots, and he makes hundreds of appearances year-round in the St. Louis area.
Gapper (Cincinnati)
Gapper in 2005 signing a Gapper doll for a fan.
Gapper is one of the current mascots for the Cincinnati Reds. He was first introduced as the furry companion to Mr. Red, the long-time mascot in the winter of 2002 as the franchise was preparing to move to their new home, Great American Ball Park. The mascot was created by David Raymond's Raymond Entertainment Group, the founder being the man inside the Phillie Phanatic costume from 1973 to 1993. A young fan won two season tickets for submitting the winning name; he is named after the "gap" in the stands in the seats of Great American, which provides a view into and out of the stadium. The term "gapper" is also a slang phrase for a batted ball which falls into the "gap" between outfielders (generally a ball hit to either left-center or right-center field which rolls to the fence).
Homer (Atlanta)
Homer is the mascot of the Atlanta Braves. He has a baseball shaped head, and looks a little like Mr. Met. Before having the baseball head however, Homer was the personification of the old "Screaming Warrior" logo the Braves used before dropping it in 1988.
Homer's full name is Homer the Brave. This is meant to sound like "home of the brave", the last words of the National Anthem.
Junction Jack (Houston)
Junction Jack along side his family, Cousin Jesse and Junction Julie.
Junction Jack has been the mascot character for the Houston Astros since March 2000. He is a 7-foot-tall (2.1 m) rabbit dressed as a railroad engineer. Other characters include Junction Julie and Junction Jesse. He walks around Minute Maid Park, greeting visitors, shaking hands, and posing for pictures, and he also greets young kids and gives them hugs and makes them happy will girls and boys.
Outside of the stadium he will generally attend Astros-related promotional events, as well as charities.
Junction Jack replaced Orbit when the team moved from the Astrodome to Minute Maid Park. The new stadium was originally called "The Ballpark at Union Station" because it was built on the site of the historic railway station in downtown Houston. In keeping with this new theme for the Astros, Orbit was replaced by the engineer. The character was designed by Logan Goodson and named by Duone Byars, both former Astros employees.
Lefty and Righty (Boston)
Lefty and Righty are each a large, red sock with arms, and are the alternate mascot characters for the Boston Red Sox joining Wally the Green Monster. They are seen on large outings with Wally such as the 2007 World Series Parade as well as weekend afternoon games at Fenway Park.
Lou Seal (San Francisco)
Lou Seal has served as mascot of the San Francisco Giants since 1996.
Lou Seal is the official mascot of the San Francisco Giants. "Born" on July 25, 1996, Luigi Francisco Seal has been a regular part of the Giants baseball home games and events around San Francisco, and the United States. The name is a play on the name "Lucille." Todd Schwenk, an Oakland Athletics Fan, named the mascot in a KNBR Sports Radio phone-in contest. Schwenk named Lou for the Seals always hanging out on the wharfs at Fisherman's Wharf. It also refers to the San Francisco Seals, the baseball club which was a mainstay of the Pacific Coast League from 1903 until 1957.
Mariner Moose (Seattle)
The Mariner Moose is the mascot of the Seattle Mariners. In 1990, a contest for children 14 and under was held to select a mascot, after 2500 entries the club chose the "Mariner Moose" The Moose made his debut on April 13, 1990 dancing on the field at the Kingdome. During the 1995 American League Division Series between the M's and the New York Yankees, the Moose gained national attention when he broke his ankle crashing into the outfield wall at the Kingdome while being towed on inline skates behind an ATV in the outfield. Inline skating behind an ATV would continue to be a fan favorite until 1999, when the team moved to Safeco Field and a natural grass playing surface. Since then, the Moose has become quite adept at driving his own ATV around Safeco Field's warning track while performing various tricks and having water coolers emptied on him by bullpen pitchers.
The Moose makes several hundred appearances in the community each year in addition to Mariners home games, at everything from hospitals to wedding receptions. The Mariner Moose was featured on the ballot for the Mascot Hall of Fame in 2006 and 2007. He also nearly ran over Coco Crisp with his ATV in 2007, raising the ire of Red Sox pitching coach John Farrell.
Mr. Met (New York Mets)
Mr. Met is the official mascot of the New York Mets. He is a baseball-headed humanoid being who wears a Mets cap and uniform. He can be seen at Citi Field (and previously at Shea Stadium) during Mets home games. He also has appeared in several commercials as part of ESPN's This is SportsCenter campaign, and was selected in 2007 into the Mascot Hall of Fame.
Mr. Redlegs (Cincinnati)
Mr. Redlegs is a mascot of the Cincinnati Reds. He was reintroduced in 2007 to play a supporting role, along with Mr. Red. Mr. Redlegs appeared as a patch on the Reds' uniforms for two seasons in the 1950s (the team briefly assumed the nickname as a response to the second red scare). In 2008, Mr. Redlegs gained national notoriety by falling off of an ATV during pre-game antics. This caused the large, baseball-shaped head to fall off of the Mr. Redlegs costume, exposing the head of the person inside the costume. He was seen a few days later wearing a neck brace as a joke.
Paws (Detroit)
Phillie Phanatic (Philadelphia)
The Phillie Phanatic is the official mascot of the Philadelphia Phillies
Phillie Phanatic is the official mascot of the Philadelphia Phillies. He is a fat furry green creature with a cylindrical beak containing a tongue that sticks out. He was created by Harrison/Erickson, who thought that the team needed a mascot similar to The San Diego Chicken. The character is named for the fanatical fans of the team and, according to current owner and former team vice president, Bill Giles, was to bring more families to Veterans Stadium, the Phillies ballpark at the time. He can be seen riding around on an ATV at home games.
Pirate Parrot (Pittsburgh)
The Pirate Parrot is the mascot of the Pittsburgh Pirates, debuting in 1979. He is a large green parrot who wears a Pirates jersey and cap. The character of a parrot was derived from the classic story Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson, most notably the one owned by Long John Silver named "Captain Flint". He is often seen dancing on the dugouts and sitting on some fans; not to mention shaking his large green belly.
The original Pirate Parrot, Kevin Koch, was a key contributor to the Pittsburgh drug trials, buying cocaine and introducing it to several players, and even going as far as introducing the players to the drug dealers he bought the cocaine from. The Bucs kept the Pirate Parrot mascot after Koch's role as the Pirate Parrot ended due to the drug trials.
Great Pierogi Race (Pittsburgh)
A Pierogi Race and the Pirate Parrot.
The Great Pierogi Race is a promotion between innings during Pittsburgh Pirates baseball games that features four contestants racing in giant pierogies costumes: Jalapeño Hannah (green hat), Cheese Chester (yellow), Sauerkraut Saul (red) and Oliver Onion (purple). It was inspired by the Milwaukee Brewers' Sausage Race.
The Presidents (Washington)
The Washington Nationals have Presidential races during their games. The four Presidents are the ones on Mount Rushmore: George Washington;Thomas Jefferson; Abraham Lincoln; and Teddy Roosevelt. Each has a uniform number (George - 1; Tom - 3; Abe - 16; Teddy - 26) corresponding to their place in the order in which they held the office. They have become an instant success and make multiple public appearances, notably Abe Lincoln on The Illinois float for President Obama inauguration parade. A running gag with the Presidents is that Teddy Roosevelt can never win a race.
Rangers Captain (Texas)
Rangers Captain is the mascot for the Texas Rangers. Introduced in 2002, he is a palomino-style horse, dressed in the team's uniform. He wears the uniform number "72" in honor of 1972, the year the Rangers relocated to the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex.
The mascot also has multiple uniforms to match each of the variants the team has. Rangers Captain's chosen uniform for the game matches the uniform choice made by the team for that particular game. Captain's outfits sometimes match a theme the team is promoting; on Apr 24, 2010, he was dressed up like Elvis as part of an Elvis Presley themed night.
Raymond (Tampa Bay)
Raymond is the mascot of the Tampa Bay Rays. Raymond is a furry blue creature wearing a large pair of sneakers and a backwards baseball cap, completed with a Rays jersey. He is described officially as a "seadog." Raymond was awarded an honorable mention in the GameOps.com Best Mascot contest for 2006.
Rosie Red (Cincinnati)
Rosie Red is the female mascot of the Cincinnati Reds. She was introduced in August 2008 as the new companion of Gapper and Mr. Redlegs, and her name comes from a female fan who became famous in 1940 for cheering for the team, and is also derived from a female fan group founded to prevent the team from moving from Cincinnati in 1963 and is a philanthropic group associated with the team. The official group name comes from the acronym of "Rooters Organized to Stimulate Interest and Enthuiasm in the Cincinnati Reds."
The Sausages (Milwaukee)
The sausages are unofficial mascots of the Milwaukee Brewers. They are stylized in the appearance of sausages from around the world. When they were first debuted in the mid 80's there were only three the German Bratwurst, The Polish Kielbasa, and The Italian Sausage. In the mid 90's the Hot Dog became a racer. In 2006 a fifth sausage was debuted, The Spanish Chorizo. They are a favorite of fans and make sports highlights reels occasionally.
Screech (Washington)
Screech, the Washington Nationals mascot before his 2009 growth spurt.
Screech is the mascot of the Washington Nationals. He is a bald eagle who wears the home cap and jersey of the team. He was "hatched" on April 17, 2005 at the "Kids Opening Day" promotion at Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium. A nine-year-old fourth grade student in Washington, Glenda Gutierrez, designed the mascot and won a contest sponsored by the team, explaining that it was "strong and eats almost everything." A new "matured" edition of the mascot was unveiled March 2, 2009. TheSpringfield Falcons of the American Hockey League also have a mascot named Screech.
Slider (Cleveland)
Slider is the mascot for the Cleveland Indians. He is a large, furry fuchsia-colored creature. He has a large yellow nose and shaggy yellow eyebrows.[5] He was best known for an injury during the 1995 American League Championship Series when he fell six feet off an outfield wall and tore knee ligaments. He was inducted into theMascot Hall of Fame in 2008.
Sluggerrr (Kansas City)
Sluggerrr is the official mascot of the Kansas City Royals. This crown-wearing lion made his debut On April 5, 1996. The word slugger also refers to a powerful batterwith a high percentage of extra base hits.
Southpaw (Chicago White Sox)
Southpaw, the mascot of the Chicago White Sox
Southpaw is the mascot of the Chicago White Sox. His name is a reference to a left-hand pitcher and is also a reference to Chicago's South Side, where the team plays. He was on a float for Illinois at Barack Obama's inauguration, along with the Washington Nationals racing president representation of Abraham Lincoln.
Stomper (Oakland)
Stomper is the mascot of the Oakland Athletics. An elephant adorned with an A's uniform of the number 00. The use of an elephant to symbolize the Athletics dates from the early years of the franchise, when a group of Philadelphia businessmen, headed by industrialist Benjamin Shibe, became the team's first owners. When asked to comment, John McGraw, manager of the New York Giants of the rival National League said something to the effect that "Shibe had bought himself a white elephant." In response, A's manager (and future owner) Connie Mack selected the elephant as the team symbol and mascot. From time to time the elephant has appeared on the Athletic uniform, including 1988 to present.
In 1997, the A's created a new character and called him Stomper. Stomper has performed at several Major League Baseball All-Star Games, and has appeared in a Public Service Announcement against chewing tobacco.
Swinging Friar (San Diego)
The Swinging Friar has been a mascot with the team as early as 1958, when the Padres were still a member of the Pacific Coast League, a minor league baseballorganization. He was named after Spanish missionaries settled by Franciscan friars, who were prominent figures when the city of San Diego was founded centuries ago. The Padres joined Major League Baseball in 1969 and kept the popular mascot. He was even on the team emblem until 1984. Wanting a more "professional" image, the owners introduced a more corporate logo. In 1996, he was brought back as a sleeve patch for the club's blue alternate jerseys, and though the team has changed its logo and colors since then, the Friar remains there to this day.
The Swinging Friar is a cartoon-like character, pudgy, balding and always smiling. He is dressed as a friar with a tonsure, sandals, a dark hooded cloak, and a rope around the waist. He swings a baseball bat; but reportedly, in some years he swings left-handed, in other years he swings right-handed, he may be ambidextrous, or even a switch hitter. On home game Sundays, the Friar wears a special camouflage cloak as the team honors the military background of San Diego with similar uniforms.
Originally, The Swinging Friar was represented at the ballpark as a real man wearing a friar outfit. Since his return, the character has been a full mascot costume.
Some in the past have confused The Famous Chicken as the mascot of the Padres. Although he does make appearances occasionally at San Diego sporting events, he has never been the official mascot of any San Diego sports team.
T. C. Bear (Minnesota)
T. C. Bear is the mascot for the Minnesota Twins. He was first introduced to Minnesota on April 3, 2000. T. C. is loosely modeled after the Hamm's Beer Bear, a mascot used in advertisements for Hamm's Brewery, an early sponsor for the Twins. The "T. C." stands for the "Twin Cities", Minneapolis and St. Paul.
Wally the Green Monster (Boston)
Wally the Green Monster
Wally the Green Monster is the official mascot for the Boston Red Sox. His name is derived from the Green Monster nickname of the 37-foot (11 m) wall in left field at Fenway Park. Wally debuted in 1997 to the chagrin of many older Red Sox fans. Although he was a hit with children, the older fans did not immediately adopt him as part of the franchise.
According to the Red Sox promotions department, Wally was a huge Red Sox fan who decided to move inside the left field wall of Fenway Park, since it "eats up" hits that would easily be home runs at other parks, in 1947. Apparently, he was very shy and lived the life of a hermit for 50 years. On the 50th anniversary of the Green Monster being painted green in 1997, he came out of the manual scoreboard and has been interacting with players and fans ever since.[7] Thanks to former Red Sox second baseman and current broadcaster Jerry Remy, some older fans have embraced him.
