Let us settle once and for all - WHO IS THE BEST MLB MASCOT?!
ROUND 1
LEFT SIDE
Raymond v. Screech
Screech, the Washington Nationals mascot, is a depiction of a bald eagle; wearing a Nationals cap. Raymond, the Tampa Bay Rays mascot, is a sea dog with a furry mustache and a backward baseball cap. Screech is a divisional rival to the Phillie Phanatic and a little creepy with his eyes and a gaping mouth. Screech has mascots friends, mostly notably during the President's Race, which features large presidential bobbleheads, so he does not stand alone as the face of the franchise.
Paws v. Lou Seal
Paws, the mascot for the Detroit Tigers, is a tiger. He wears a Detroit baseball cap and an oversized jersey. Paws is very simple when compared to Lou Seal. Lou Seal is the mascot of the San Francisco Giants; he is a harbor seal, drawing inspiration from the Pier 39 seals. Lou Seal has big glasses and a unique walk; he performs many antics at the games. Lou Seal wins this round because he's much more complex than Paws.
TC Bear v. Mr. Red
Mr. Red, a humanoid with a baseball head, is the Cincinnati Red's mascot. He was introduced in 1968. TC Bear, a bear, is the mascot for the Minnesota Twins. The TC stands for the 'twin cities' of Minneapolis & St. Paul. Mr. Red is often depicted on a patch on the team's jerseys; and he has a wife, Rosie Red, along with a friend, Mr. Redlegs, and a furry mascot, Gapper. Quite frankly, Mr. Red wins this round because TC Bear has scary eyes, and the Reds (formerly known as the Red Stockings) are one of the oldest teams in the league and Mr. Red, one of the oldest mascots in baseball.
Baxter v. Mariner Moose
Baxter, or D. Baxter the Bobcat, is the mascot for the Diamondbacks. He represents the Diamondbacks as a bobcat which is native to Arizona; their old stadium was Bank One Ballpark (BOB for short). Mariner Moose represents the Seattle Mariners. He previously did inline skating behind an ATV, and he does charity work along with entertaining crowds. While these mascots represent their cities, Mariner Moose advances simply because he's cuter.
Stomper v. Captain
Captain, a horse, is the mascot for the Texas Rangers. While I appreciate the horse, seeing a horse on two legs is weird. Stomper, an elephant, is the mascot for the Oakland Athletics. He has a lot of history, which you'll see later as Stomper advances.
RIGHT SIDE
Slider v. Pirate Parrot
The Guardians entry is Slider – a unique mascot with yellow hair and spots on a purple body. While the Phillie Phanatic inspired the Guardians' mascot, he's not as cool. He was inducted into the Mascot Hall of Fame in 2008. Pirate Parrot, who represents the Pittsburgh Pirates, wins this round. He embraces the essence of pirating, including waving a Jolly Roger flag.
Blooper v. Ace
Blooper, a Braves super-fan, represents the Atlanta Braves. While his reception was initially mixed, he performs many antics and interacts with opposing players, and fans have come to love him. Ace, a bluejay, represents the only Canadian team in the league, the Toronto Blue Jays. Ace is a predictable mascot, as the team is named the Blue Jays. Blooper is much more creative and wins this round.
Clark v. Bernie Brewer
Bernie Brewer is a cheerful man with a large mustache; he represents the Milwaukee Brewers. Bernie has an entire chalet, complete with a slide at his home of American Family Field. Clark, a young cub, is a friendly bear who represents the Chicago Cubs. Clark gets his name from Wrigley Field's location, on the corner of Clark and Addison Streets. Clark appears much more friendly than Bernie, which advances him to the next round.
Wally the Green Monster v. Sluggerrr
Wally, the green monster, represents the Boston Red Sox. He lives behind the scoreboard at Fenway Park, by the left field wall which is known as the Green Monster. Wally has a younger sister named Tessie, who sometimes appears with him. Sluggerrr, a lion with a crown, represents the Kansas City Royals. Sluggerrr is active on social media and, in 2017, was inducted into the Mascot Hall of Fame. Despite Wally's history, Sluggerrr moves on.
Southpaw v. Dinger
Southpaw, a green creature, represents the Chicago White Sox. He is named after a left-handed pitcher who would be known as a southpaw. Dinger, a purple triceratops, represents the Colorado Rockies. His dinosaur brand comes from the construction of Coors Field, where builders found a triceratops fossil. Dinger also is a crowd-pleaser and makes appearances in the Colorado community. Dinger's creative story advances him to the next round.
Fredbird v. Billy the Marlin
Billy the Marlin represents the Miami Marlins. Billy has his own antics, including stepping on my hat when I met him. He has been with the Marlins through many rebrands and once lost his head in an unfortunate skydiving mishap. Fredbird, a cardinal, is the mascot for the St. Louis Cardinals. While he beaks the heads of supporters and is well known, he has a large beak which is a little disturbing to me. Billy advances to the next round.
SWEET SIXTEEN
LEFT SIDE
Phanatic v. Raymond
The Phillie Phanatic is a large green creature who is very well known. He represents the Philadelphia Phillies. He has many antics (which we'll get into later) and rides a red ATV around Citizens Bank Park. Raymond is unique and almost plush. He has a cool mustache, but the Phillies beat the Rays in 2008, and they do in this contest too!
Lou Seal v. Mr. Red
Can you compare a baseball to a harbor seal? Yes, Mr. Red has a history, but Lou Seal is unique and connects to his city. Lou Seal also has a great sense of fashion with his oversized sunglasses. Lou Seal for the win!
Swinging Friar v. Mariner Moose
The Swinging Friar, a Franciscan friar or monk, represents the San Diego Padres. He has a cartoon face and wears a robe and sandals. He also appears as a patch on his team's jersey sleeve. While the Friar has history, Mariner Moose is cuter and has a more straightforward relation to his city and the kids. Moose continues!
Stomper v. Oriole Bird
The Oriole Bird is a mascot for the Orioles. He's a very simple bird, and he's been inducted into the Mascot Hall of Fame. He is just simple and predictable, while an elephant has been part of the A's franchise for years. This history propels Stomper to the next round.
RIGHT SIDE
Orbit v. Pirate Parrot
Orbit, a space alien with antennas, is the Houston Astros' mascot. His name comes from Houston being the space city due to many NASA operations located there. While Treasure Island inspires Pirate Parrot, it is not enough against an alien from outer space. Orbit advances!
Blooper v. Clark
Honestly, it once again comes down to the eyes. It helps Clark out because his eyes are softer, and as a Phillies fan, I'm not too fond of anything relating to the Braves. Go, Cubs, Go!
Sluggerrr v. Dinger
While a dinosaur would probably beat a lion, that's not the case here. Sluggerrr advances purely because his eyes are not as scary as Dingers.
Billy v. Mr & Mrs. Met
Mr. & Mrs. Met are two baseballs with human parts representing the New York Mets. They are a package deal and are often in commercials. Mr. & Mrs. Met rose to fame while creating a parody of Mets closer Edwin Diaz's entrance. Billy the marlin has an odd face, and as I mentioned previously, he stepped on my hat when I was a kid. The Mets continue.
ELITE EIGHT
LEFT SIDE
Phanatic v. Lou Seal
While Lou Seal might be the coolest seal, with his swagger, sunglasses, and backward hat, he can't compare to the Phanatic. The Phanatic has many antics, from taunting players, doing dance routines with his friends (the Galapagos Gang) and impersonating celebrities on theme nights. Point Phanatic!
Mariner Moose v. Stomper
Stomper, the mascot of the Oakland A's, symbolizes Benjamin Shibe (of Shibe Park and the previous owner of the Philadelphia A's) as the result of a comment made about how Shibe got a white elephant when he purchased the team. Connie Mack, the manager of the A's and later the owner, selected the elephant as the mascot. The elephant remained as the team went from Philadelphia to Kansas City to Oakland. Stomper is the present version. Despite his history, Mariner Moose wins this round because of Stomper's oddly shaped head.
RIGHT SIDE
Orbit v. Clark
When comparing an alien to a cub, the cub would win. Clark is more friendly and sweet and easy to distinguish. I'm also still bitter that the Astros beat the Phillies in the World Series.
Sluggerrr v. Mets
While Mr. Met is in the Mascot Hall of Fame, he doesn't compare to the King of the Jungle. Mr. & Mrs. Met have their moments, but they are two mascots compared to one, as Sluggerrr is the sole mascot of the Kansas City Royals. Point Sluggerrr!
FINAL FOUR
LEFT SIDE
Phanatic v. Mariner Moose
Both of these mascots represent their cities. The Moose is native to Washington State (where the Mariners play). The Phanatic is named after the fanatical fans of Philadelphia. A Moose is less creative than a giant furry creature. No contest!!
Clark v. Sluggerrr
Clark, who is an underdog, just like his Cubs, loses this round. Sluggerrr is more well-known and older than Clark. Despite his cute features and history, Clark goes back into hibernation.
CHAMPIONSHIP
Phanatic v. Sluggerrr
Sluggerrr is unique and combines the Royals crown with the jungle. He was created in 1996 and inducted into the Mascot Hall of Fame in 2017. He can not compare to the Phanatic.
Created in 1978, the Phillie Phanatic has been through a lot. He has also been involved various lawsuits as a result of his antics and also his birthright. He had his appearance altered for a season but then returned to “normal.” He was the inaugural member of the Mascot Hall of Fame and the Baseball Hall of Fame (mascot division). The clincher, he was named Forbes' Best Mascot, and how can I argue with that?
A WIN FOR THE PHILLIE PHANATIC!
Sabrina's Mascot Photo Gallery
(Photos provided by my dad, Jeff Workman)
Myself, and Billy the Marlin, moments before he stepped on my hat.
Myself, and Mr.Met in 2006.
Myself, and Gapper, an alternate Reds' mascot.
World's Best Mascot, the Phillie Phanatic and myself at a Phillies Event.
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