4 Times the Phillie Phanatic was the Craziest Mascot in MLB
It’s National Mascot Day, and few mascots have had as colorful a “life” as the Phillie Phanatic.
Since 1978, the Phillie Phanatic has been delighting Phillies fans and pestering opposing managers and players.
The original Phanatic was designed by one of the Muppets designers and named to honor Philadelphia’s phanatical phans. As far as team mascots go, he’s definitely one of the most provocative creatures, having been involved in quite a few fracases over the years. In 1982, the New York Times even called him “that fuzzy and intrusive varmint!”
In 2010, it was reported that the Phanatic had the distinction of being the most-sued mascot in sports. According to a May 2021 poll by Play USA of thousands of baseball fans, the fuzzy green anteater-like creature was voted ‘Most Obnoxious Mascot’ in MLB, but also won the honor of ‘Fans Who Love Their Team’s Mascot.’
If you’re not a Phillies fan, the Phanatic can make himself quite unlikeable, as evidenced by his antics during the June 12 game against the Yankees.
If you’ve never been to a game at Yankee Stadium, Frank Sinatra’s “New York, New York” plays at the end of every Yankees victory. So, in the sixth inning at Citizens Bank Park, Sinatra’s ode to the Big Apple began to play over the speakers, and the Phanatic took the field in a tuxedo. He danced and riled up the crowd, before taking a microphone stand and smashing it down onto a Yankees batting helmet.
https://twitter.com/NBCSPhilly/status/1403848424752046083?s=20
Yankees fans weren’t thrilled, but fans of almost every other fan base were. As the old saying goes, ‘We root for two teams: our own and whoever’s playing the Yankees.’
https://twitter.com/MetsSouthFla/status/1403853920074620931?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1403853920074620931%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fftw.usatoday.com%2F2021%2F06%2Fphillie-phanatic-destroyed-a-yankees-helmet-and-giancarlo-stanton-was-not-impressed
After incensing Giancarlo Stanton and riling up the crowd, the green machine hopped back into his ATV and sped away, arms raised triumphantly like fellow Philadelphia legend Rocky.
Now, let’s look back on some of the Phanatic’s past provocations…
With no fans in the stands in 2020, the Phanatic – who loves to get up close and personal with baseball humans – had to get creative.
Like many teams that share a division, the Marlins and Phillies have a bit of a rivalry, and the Phanatic took the opportunity to poke fun at a Marlins fan who wouldn’t be able to escape his teasing.
2020 was a hard year for baseball, but the Phanatic tried to keep us entertained all season long.
https://twitter.com/Cut4/status/1287464409607147520?s=20
Probably the Phanatic’s most famously chaotic moment was his fight with the late Tommy Lasorda, who seemed to have a dislike of opposing mascots.
On August 28, 1988, then-Dodgers manager Lasorda had finally had enough of the young Phanatic, who was playing with a mannequin of Lasorda on the field.
Lasorda stormed the field at Veterans Stadium and strode towards the mascot, moving his ATV away before running back and tackling the Phanatic to the ground. He smacked the mascot with the mannequin before leaving the field again as the Phanatic rode away on his beloved vehicle.
Lasorda grew up in the Philadelphia suburbs, and loved to go home to Pennsylvania when the Dodgers played there. And not to burst the bubble of this story, but he and the Phanatic at the time, Dave Raymond, were actually longtime friends off the field.
When Lasorda passed away in January 2021, this is how the original Phanatic remembered him:
“He was one of the last vestiges of something that’s disappearing in baseball — personality, characters. He inspired passion and love for the game in people. He brought fun to the game and I cherish him for that.”
Aside from the Lasorda fight, the Phanatic is probably best-known for dancing and challenging everyone to a dance-off.
In 2010, he showed up to surprise a bride on her wedding day and dance with the newlyweds:
In 2011, he showed up at a parade and danced with… bagpipers?!
In 2012, it was a St Patrick’s day dance and later in the season, with Grammy-winner Paula Abdul:
In 2014, it was the Wobble with an umpire:
In 2017, the Phanatic and Cardinals’ mascot Fredbird went head to head to the classics, including “Wind Beneath My Wings” and “My Heart Will Go On”:
And finally, this epic moment from 2019 with the most Philly sports fan of all:
The ultimate Philadelphian doesn't exi-- pic.twitter.com/AWTZjrP0nE
— Cut4 (@Cut4) September 29, 2019
Happy National Mascot Day, Phanatic! You’re truly one of a kind.