Opening Day: Quirkiest baseball mascots of all time

Spring time means baseball. It’s that time of the year again when players take to the field with high hopes for a chance at the Pennant. Fans are eager to hear the crack of the bat, taste their ballpark favorites, and to see their beloved mascots. While mascots have become an essential part of the ballpark experience, some teams have adopted some downright quirky ones. Here are a few of our favorites.

Related: 7 horribly delicious, over-the-top ball park eats you’re going to want to try right now

Mr. & Mrs. Met pumping up the crowd – Photo by: Arturo Pardavila III – CC – Edited

1. The New York Mets’ Mr. & Mrs. Met 

In the mid-1960’s the Mets rolled outthe first ever human-like mascot in baseball. New York‘s Mr. Met has a human body with an oversized baseball for a head, a permanently fix smile, and an off-centered Met’s hat. To add to the quirkiness, in 1975 he got a girlfriend when the Mets introduced Mrs. Met. The duo was the first ever couple mascot, and somewhere along the way they even had three children mascots. After nearly 45 years of pumping up Mets fans, Mr. Met was inducted into the Mascot Hall of Fame in 2007.

DJ Kitty at a Rays Game – Photo by: Jason Swaby – CC

2. Tampa Bay Ray’s – DJ Kitty

The quirkiest baseball mascot in recent history is without a doubt the Rays’ new feline mascot inspired by a fast food TV commercial. In an attempt to entertain and modernize the fan experience the Rays created DJ Kitty. Tampa‘s new mascot was modeled after the popular “Rap Cat” commercials for Checkers fast food chains. DJ Kitty is a human-sized black cat wearing a Ray’s uniform, backward hat, and gold chains. The cat seems to have littleto no connection with baseball, but DJ Kitty is on twitter for the Rays and has his own hashtag #kittyswag.

Phillie Phanatic mascot rallying the fans – Photo by: Arturo Pardavila III – CC – Edited

3. Philadelphia Phillies Phillie Phanatic

A giant green fuzzy mascot with a megaphone-like nose, who according to the Phillies’ website, is originally from the Galapagos Islands. On top of these defining traits, he also happens to be the Phillies biggest fan. If you’re not from Philadelphia, you’d probably be asking yourself “what the heck is that thing?” Phillie Phanatic gets his Muppet-like appearance from his creator Jim Henson, the father of the Muppets.

Milwaukee Brewers’ Racing Sausages – Photo by: Neil Staeck – CC

4. The Milwaukee Brewers’ Racing Sausages

A fitting, yet quirky, set of mascots for the tailgate loving Milwaukee Brewers fans first hit the field in the early 90’s. For some mid-game entertainment, the Brewers introduced three 7-foot tall racing sausages to run the field before the bottom of the 6th inning. In the early days, there was a Bratwurst, Italian, and Polish Sausages racing the field to excited the fans. A few years later Hot Dog was added, and in the early 2000’s Chorizo became a main staple in the race.

Racing Pierogies at a Pirates game – Photo by: Christopher “Rice” – CC

5. The Pittsburgh Pirates’ Racing Pierogies

If racing hot dogs weren’t strange enough, how about pierogies with legs. Modeled after the Brewers’ sausages, Pittsburgh‘s six flavors of pierogies run a lap around the field between innings. If their looks aren’t quirky enough, they have names like “Sauerkraut Saul” and “Bacon Burt.” These speedy pierogies have been a part of Pirates baseball for the past 17 seasons and have become a part of the experience during all home games.

The San Diego Chicken – Photo by: Phil Konstantin – CC

6. The San Diego Chicken

Besides looking straight out of the 70’s, what makes the San Diego Chicken quirky is his insane popularity. First introduced in 1974 the Chicken has gained rock star status over the decades. He was even named Top 100 most influential people in sports of the 20th century by Sporting News. Another feature that sets the San Diego Chicken apart is what, or rather who, that is inside the costume. While most performers hide their identity, Ted Giannoulas was a big part of the success of his character over the years.

Tagged: California, Florida, Top 10 Lists