Welcome back to Rotten Ink! I had such a great time chatting about my top currant MLB Mascots way back in 2021 that I decided that I wanted to revisit the Rotten Ink Stadium and this time talk about those mascots that got retired and replaced over the years in Major League Baseball! Just like any mascot, sometimes they are sent to the Mascot Retirement Home to be forgotten but many are still well loved by fans that remember them. Others fade away as their replacements start to get the memories and attentions of the fans of the ball team. And on the other hand some of these mascots were so despised and are so bad that they needed to be retired as fans, players and even the whole ball club want them gone! So for this update we are going to rank all the retired mascots those gone but not forgotten jesters of the ball field that have brought so much joy to the crowds.
Now let me take a moment to say what rules I gave myself when ranking these Mascots as it was both very easy and very hard all at the same time as I think each and everyone of these Mascots are great in their own ways. So here is what I used for my rankings I took my time and watched videos of each mascot doing their thing from on field antics! I looked at how well loved they are by the fans, critics as well as the team they represent. I looked at how well their costumes look as well as their personality. I looked at if they had any limitations in their antics as well as slightly how well they fit the team they mascot for. I as well ruled out teams that try to use real animals as well as fans as their mascots, because those are not true mascots, as we all know and love them. I ruled out my love for the team as just cause I love the team don’t mean they have a great mascot. And most important and taken into consideration is of course my personal like for the mascot again not the team but the mascot themselves. And again remember this is all for fun and I must stress I feel all of them mean something to their fans just like Horror Hosts so they are all important in their own ways. So with that lets find out seats at Rotten Ink Stadium and order a drink and some junk food and lets talk Retired MLB Mascots as I give you my personal countdown from least favorite to my top pick.
# 20
Homer The Brave
Team: Atlanta Braves Debut: 1986 Retired: 1988 World Series Wins: 4
Homer The Brave was a mascot that the Braves used in the 1980’s to replace the super popular Chief Noc-A-Homa and was designed after the teams logo at the time. The Mascot was very awkward and while he did a great job of getting the crowd pumped he also was very limited on what he could due. The Mascot was discontinued pretty quickly as Native American groups disliked the appearance and exploitation of their culture. While Homer The Brave was well liked by the hometown fans as well as the team, they made the wise choice of sending him to the retirement home in the sky. The thing about Homer The Brave is that also in this modern time it’s very hard to find any real information or even videos of him as The Braves really have forced him into their past. So I am not 100% sure if his retired year is right as information on him is limited. Homer The Brave is my least favorite MLB Retired Mascot as I found him to be way too limited and an extremely outdated mindset of turning a culture into a sales tactic.
# 19
Philadelphia Phil & Phillis
Team: Philadelphia Phillies Debut: 1971 Retired: 1979 World Series Wins: 0
Sometimes in the world of mascots you don’t have to do any silly antics or run around the bases to get the crowd to cheer for the home team or distract the opposing team, you just have the love and respect of your home team and crowd…and I feel that Philadelphia Phil and Philadelphia Phillis did just that in the 70s. You see Phil and Phillis were two revolutionary colonial dressed, large headed sibling characters that were created when the Phillies showed off the there state-of-the-art Veterans Stadium. At first it was odd as the crowd did not know how to take the pair as they just kind of were around and were not doing any antics to get the crowd pumped, and I think this confused fans to why they were there! But what did make them the stars of the show was the “Home Run Spectacular” that would have the pair put on a show compete with a canon going off, the Liberty Bell glowing and even the song Stars And Stripes playing after a Phillies player would hit a home run. But as the decade came to an end so did Phil and Phillies time as the mascots as by 1979 they rang in the country’s bicentennial and then were sent packing to the Mascot Retirement Home. The Brother and Sister duo did make two more appearances in 2003 as they appeared with the Phillie Phanatic for the final year of Veterans Stadium at both opening and final games. While Philadelphia Phil and Philadelphia Phillis might not be that iconic in the eyes of many Phillies fans and in modern times are forgotten, they still made their mark on the sports and the Home Run Spectacular they were involved in was very iconic. While I like the way they look and love the idea of them celebrating our nations bicentennial at the ball park, its also just how simple and lackluster their push to get the crowd behind the team and themselves is why I have to rate them this low. On a side note back in the 80’s and original costumes were sold to fans during a massive ball club stadium sale that had the Phillies selling off many of their Phil and Phillis items.
# 18
Souki
Team: Montreal Expos Debut: 1978 Retired: 1978 World Series Wins: 0
You know that a mascot is bad when the team sends him to the retirement home after only one season! Souki is another baseball headed mascot who was a copy of Mr. Redlegs and Mr. Met and his only major change is that he was spaced themed and rocked a great futuristic suit. From what I have looked into Souki was very limited in his actions due to the massive head and that fans hated him as he scared kids and the adults thought he was cheesy and lame. He was so disliked that he was attacked by a father who was mad that the mascot scared his kid with his weird appearance…now you know that things are not good for you when you are being attacked out of hate as they think you are bad at what you do. And with all the bad fan reaction to him the Expos sent him packing after only one season, and this makes you wonder if they would have given him a few more years would he have won the hearts of the fans? Would he have grown to become one of the most loved mascots in sports, a true icon if you will? And would he have been inducted into the Mascot Hall Of Fame? All questions that I am sure would lead us to the answer of NO.
# 17
Bluepper
Team: San Diego Padres Debut: 1992 Retired: 1994 World Series Wins: 0
Sometimes a mascot just fails to capture the fans and is rejected right off the bate, most of the time when this happens is because the new mascot replaced a beloved one and other times its just cause they are not good at what they do and their antics are annoying and not charming. And for the baseball nosed Bluepper he could not catch a break as the hometown fans were just not into him and would be vocal about it, and no matter how hard he tried it took a very long time for him to start to build a small fan base. As Bluepper was not a bad mascot as he had a silly look and was pretty funny with his antics it was just the fact he was not The Swinging Friar and was not The San Diego Chicken who would make guest appearances at the ballpark. Bluepper was disliked by the older fans who would shout and boo him and the younger fans as well did not take to him as they would punch at him as well as yell at him. While Bluepper was not bad at his job and had an ok look it’s the fact he made no impact in his two years active before retirement is why he is rated this low on my list. I do however want to say that I think if the Padres would have given him a little more time to try and bond with the fans he could have went on for many more years as I feel with some slight changes he could have been really good.
# 16
Crazy Crab
Team: San Francisco Giants Debut: 1984 Retired: 1984 World Series Wins: 8
Lets first say that Crazy Crab was only a mascot for the Giants for one season and he was created not make fun of the MLB Mascot craze and they wanted the fans in the seats to boo the hell out of him as they created on purpose one of the worst mascots of all time, his antics were disruptive and his look was laughable bad…but even though he was created to be hated…he did his job really well and got the crowd to react and pay attention to him as well brought attention to the Giants as people wanted to see what this crabby jerk was going to do next. The fans hated him so much that they would throw things at him and as well would send four letter words his way, the players as well disliked him as even the Giants would throw things at Crazy Crab and at one point players form the Padres talked him that caused the mascot to be injured as well as caused him to file a lawsuit! Crazy Crab was sent into retirement after only one season and would only be brought back for the 1999 at the final game at Candlestick Park. Because he was so hated he also started to get a cult fan following and is still talked about to this day and even has a sandwich at the AT&T Park named after him. For me his antics were great and got the reaction that was needed, but man his look is so cheesy and lame!
# 15
Rootin’ Tootin’ Ranger
Team: Texas Rangers Debut: 1970’s Retired: 1970’s World Series Wins: 0
The Texas Rangers in the 1970’s brought in a mascot that could not only bring law and order to the field but also the belly laughs from the fans in the stands. Rootin’ is a fuzzy faced yellow pant wearing ranger who was meet by fans with mix reviews, with him at some point winning their cheers and laughs thanks to his antics. He would do what he could to get the fans to cheer the home team to a win and even show support in the losses. A fun Rootin’ Tootin’ Ranger fact is that at one of his early game appearance the heat of the sun got to him and caused him to pass out for a short time in front of fans! While Rootin’ is not a mascot that is talked about in modern times and sadly by most accounts has been forgotten, but for those long time Ranger fans his Tootin’ ways will always live forever in their hearts and memories. I should say for me Rootin’ is a very interesting looking mascot and almost reminds me of a Looney Tune character.
# 14
Chester Charge
Team: Houston Astros Debut: 1977 Retired: ?? World Series Wins: 1
The first mascot for the Astros was Chester Charge was a Texas cavalry soldier who would ride around on his horse and do what he could to get the crowd pumped for his team. Chester would entertain the crowd at home games at the start, he would come back and run the bases at the seventh inning stretch, plus an animated version of him would appear on the scoreboard as a bugle blasted he would get the crowd to cheer “Charge!” and this would get the fans truly amped for baseball. Chester Charge while limited not only by the costume but also the powers that be as they would only let him entertain the fans in small bursts he still did a fantastic job at getting people to pop, and brought lots of joy and entertainment to the game. And the weird thing is I am not sure when the Astros decided to retire Chester as his graphics on the scoreboard are still played at the stadium to this day. So I am sure your asking yourself why Chester Charge is this low on my list, well its simple while I like what he did with his antics and can respect the love fans have for him, his look and the fact he was so tied down by the Astros make him just kind of average in my book, again I respect him he just does not capture my attention.
# 13
Mr. Oriole
Team: Baltimore Orioles Debut: 1954 Retired: ?? World Series Wins: 3
Mr. Oriole is baseballs first costumed mascot and because of him we have all the other mascots in MLB as well as he was who paved the way for my favorite mascot the Oriole Bird! Mr. Oriole was before antics and skits was a thing and was more of an attraction for kids and fans to see in person at the stadium and form what I have gathered he was very much well loved and also at times scared kids who were not use to seeing a mascot like him. The thing about Mr. Oriole is while he is super iconic and really is the godfather of MLB Mascots his lack of bringing the crowds to cheers and laughs hold him back, the fact he really did nothing to get the fans to root for the home team makes him rate this low on my list. In fact sadly due to how long ago he was active not much information is around for him as I am not sure how often they used him and when they finally decided to send him to the Retirement Home. I will say that for the time of the mid 50’s I think the look of Mr. Oriole is great and I would like to see them bring him out of retirement for one last run alongside the Oriole Bird as I see that as a father and son duo.
# 12
Clutch & Scoop
Team: Los Angeles Angels Debut: 1990 Retired: 1999 World Series Wins: 1
Clutch And Scoop are two bears who had angel wings as well as halos that were the mascots for The Angels through out the 1990’s that were for the most part well liked, but by the late 90s they had fallen in popularity and used less and less and finally put into the Retirement Home by the end of the decade as the really like monkey called “Rally Monkey” had taken their place as the teams mascot as well as had taken the fans attention. Clutch And Scoop would do some antics and were mostly around to meet and greet the fans at the stadium and they did a great job of that as kids really seemed to dig them and they gained a good fan base who enjoyed seeing them at the games. As you know I am not a fan of cheesy bear looking mascots like Clark of the Cubs, but I must say these two look pretty good and are less cheesy then Clark and have a kind of cartoon meets kids comic book look to them, in fact I would say these two look like a Disney Cartoon come alive. While they are not known for over the top antics and by most accounts have been forgotten I think Clutch and Scoop have a good look to them and while they did bare antics they still helped add to the attraction of seeing a home game.
# 11
Twinkie The Loon
Team: Minnesota Twins Debut: 1980 Retired: 1981 World Series Wins: 2
Way before T.C. Bear hit the stadium the Twins had a very short and all around hated mascot called Twinkie The Loon a goofy looking fun loving bird creature who would do his thing to get the crowd pumped for some baseball, and would also just annoy them with his antics. It’s crazy as Twinkie was so disliked that the team as well as fans wanted him gone only after a year active and he was not well liked by young or old fans and to be honest no footage has been released showing his antics, he is not spoken about by the Twins during their history, very few pictures of him are around and for the most part he is forgotten in the world of MLB mascots…but dang it for some reason I really like this Loon’s look as he looks like he is super crazy and would be really annoying on and off the field. I am rating Twinkie this high because of his weird and wired look. One day the Twins should bring Twinkie The Loon out of retirement and allow him to run free once more in the stadium and see if in these modern times fans would warm up to him, plus he might make T.C. Bear work a little harder on his antics as well as could have Twinkie as a sidekick, wait what am I saying I am sure that Twinkie The Loon would be meet with jeers and not cheers if he ever returned.
# 10
Rally
Team: Atlanta Braves Debut: 1985 Retired: 2005 World Series Wins: 4
Rally is one of those mascots that was used to try and make fans forget about the previous mascot the Braves had and it kind of worked as Rally was well loved by the fans with many of them still loving him to this day, but there is also the fact that critics and none Brave fans think he was silly looking and annoying and worst of all forgettable! Rally did his job at the ball stadium as he entertained young and old and had some classic antics in his bag of tricks, but one thing that held him back was the fact The Braves did not use him as often as they should so spotting him at a game was rare and this lead to him being out shadowed by Homer The Brave and Homer that would come along shortly after his debut. Forbes loved Rally as in 2008 they gave him the # 9 spot on their best sports mascot countdown! But on the other hand many journalist at the time really disliked Rally and would publish articles about how annoying and bad he was, as they themselves just wanted Chief Noc-A-Homa back. Also a thing that both worked for and against Rally was his red fur and blue Mohawk appearance as many did not know what he was while other would day he was a bear like Muppet looking creature that was inspired by Wally The Green Monster from the Boston Red Sox. While Rally might not be talked about much outside of Atlanta he sure left his mark on the hometown fans. Oddly enough the Braves just kind of let Rally fade and by 2005 he was not seen again.
# 9
The Baseball Bug
Team: Cleveland Indians Debut: 1980 Retired: 1981 World Series Wins: 2
The Cleveland Indians during the 1980’s season thought that they had the baseball mascot that would take the world by storm and become the biggest and most iconic of all time when they released The Baseball Bug onto their fans…and he sadly was a major failure as he was not well loved and was not liked at all by those he was suppose to entertain. Many fans, critics and players were confused on what he was suppose to be as he was red in color, fuzzy, and a baseball hat over his face and was even yelled at by Indian management for doing his antics to the Yankee players…showing he was doomed from the start. The Baseball Bug was booed by Indian fans, and while he was very good with his antics he could not win them over, the critics still to this day write about how he was a failure and how he made no sense in design and was just bad. But was he really as bad as history tells us? I am going to say nom in fact I myself like his look as it reminds me of something I would see in the pages of MAD Magazine and from what I have read he was very good at what he did as far as antics, it was the fans who would not allow him to get over. The Baseball Bug was good at what he did and I for one know as a kid I would have been a big fan.
# 8
Homer
Team: Atlanta Braves Debut: 1989 Retired: 2017 World Series Wins: 4
Homer is yet another baseball headed mascot that many scream about being a copy of Mr. Met who is in fact just a copy of Mr. Redlegs (but that’s for another time) who I find did a fantastic job of entertaining the fans and interacting with the youngsters and was pretty well loved by all those in the stadium. While once more limited by the awkward baseball head like all those who have came before him, Homer did a great job of working with his limitations and delivering belly laughs and memories to all the fans. Homer over his time as the Braves mascot also went through some head changes as his face went from wild to tame and this helped add some layers to his character. The fans got behind Homer and that’s why he had a long and successful career as the Braves mascot and built a loyal fan base that is going strong even to this day. I think were he shined the most is his interaction with the kids at the ball park as he took his time with them and made them laugh as well entertained them when they could have been getting antsy in the stadium seats. I also have to give Homer credit for replacing the original Homer The Brave and did a great job of making the fans forget him. While many critics and sports paper writers where not a major fans of Homer their opinions didn’t matter as he was well loved and did a pretty good job in his mascot antics. And to be honest I also fought with placing Homer at this # 8 spot as I feel that he could have placed higher as I really do like him and feel he is one of he better baseball head mascots, but I had to leave him here as the others above him have captured my imagination more as well as I think do better on their on field antics. But with that said I would like to see Homer comeback and work alongside Blooper the Braves current mascot.
# 7
Astrojack & Astrodillo
Team: Houston Astros Debut: 1980’s Retired: 1980’s World Series Wins: 1
The Astros in the 1980’s decided they needed a new mascot and after Chester Charge was retired they decided to bring in two mascots with Astrojack and his pal Astrodillo and they were really fun and were good at their antics and the fans seemed to warm up to them pretty quickly. They did lots of classic bits from running the bases, to silly skits and even rode three wheelers around the park. They would interact with players as well as the house band at the stadium and they would always take time for the fans both young and old. Astrojack was a crazy eyed jack rabbit who was almost the brains of the group and would lead them in the antics, while Astrodillo was a cowboy hat wearing armadillo who for me was the main dude and is why the pair are ranking this high as besides the fact they were really good at entertaining the fans his goofy looking nature and appearance made me a fan. Plus they were the first mascots for the Astros that would go into the crowd and truly interact with the fans. While they were short lived as I could not find a reliable source that would tell me when they debut and were retired I think these two guys were way to short lived and I think they could have and should have been used past the 1980’s and in my mind Astrojack is the crazy brother of the teams replacement mascot Junction Jack. And Astros if you are reading this (yeah I know they are not) you should bring back this pair as secondary mascots who could help Orbit entertain the fans! Long Live Astrodillo!
# 6
Dandy
Team: New York Yankess Debut: 1979 Retired: 1981 World Series Wins: 27
The New York Yankees are one of the worlds most iconic and beloved baseball teams that have super loyal fans and have produced some of he all time greatest players over the decades. But when it comes to mascots they have failed on so many levels and the top two for me is first they do not have an active mascot like none its like they are sticks in the mud of having fun in the stands and having a goofy character entertaining the fans during the downtimes. And second reason they have failed is the fact they never gave Dandy here a fare share and doomed him from the moment he hit the stadium. Dandy was named by fans that wrote in with their suggestions and at first the Yankees put lots of hype around him as they wanted to cash in on the popularity of sports mascots that was sweeping the nation. But just as quickly as they hyped him up the also lost interest in him and would not allow him on the fields during the games, would not have him be seen by the masses as he was forced to stay in the upper section of the stadium, and then the benched Dandy for a bit after Yankee Catcher Thurman Munson passed away from a plane crash, and many said Dandy and he shared the same mustache. And after this plans for Dandy came to an end as the Yankees and the creators of the characters parted ways and Dandy was sent to the retirement home. It’s crazy as poor Dandy never got the chance to fully show the world what he was bringing to the art of mascoting and I truly think the Yankees dropped the ball with Dandy as so many fans never even knew he existed. And it’s also hard to find any real feedback on him as most hate he gets is from fans who never seen him in action and I hear those who did get to seemed to really dig him. To sum it up get your crap together Yankees and bring back Dandy or create a new mascot for the 2022 season.
# 5
Braves Bleacher Creature
Team: Atlanta Braves Debut: 1977 Retired: 1981 World Series Wins: 4
Something very strange was stocking around the bleachers at Braves games in the late 1970’s, something green with big eyes and a toothless mouth, something that looked like a walking shag carpet with a Braves hat on with the teams names across his chest…he would being creeping around until the early 1980’s before being sent to the Mascot Retirement Home…and I am of course talking about the Braves Bleacher Creature! This mascot was a backup for Chief Noc-A-Homa and would spend his time in the seating sections entertaining kids and fans during games. Form all accounts Braves Bleacher Creature was well liked by fans and the kids just loved him even if sometimes they would get a little to rough and hit with mini baseball bats or try and remove one of his eyes during a game. Braves Bleacher Creature would make many public appearances during his short run as a Braves mascot and while now in modern times it seems popular to call him “Nightmare Fuel” he was very much well loved during his stint with the team. While he was limited in antics Braves Bleacher Creature took his time to meet with the fans and make sure they had fun while doing so. It’s really unclear why the Braves decided to retire him from active duty as he was popular and still had much more to give to fans. The one thing that was said about the Braves Bleacher Creature is that during hot days he would give off a bad odor, making him one of the stinkiest mascots in MLB history. And for some reason his look really captures my attention and I love the cheesy 70’s design. The Braves should have a poll on their website on what mascot was loved the best from their whole history and while Chief Noc-A-Homa would probably win it would be interesting to see where Braves Bleacher Creature stacked up against Homer The Brave, Homer and Blooper.
# 4
Junction Jack
Team: Houston Astros Debut: 2000 Retired: 2012 World Series Wins: 1
The Astros wanted to send Orbit to the retirement home in 2000 as they changed stadiums and wanted a fresh start and so the railroad engineer 7ft tall rabbit named Junction Jack was brought in to entertain the fans and annoy and distract the opposing team. And while the fans loved Orbit they quickly warmed up to Junction Jack as he was pretty dang good in his antics that would have him doing skits, dancing and even riding bikes and such. Junction Jack interacted with the fans really well and kids loved getting their pictures with him and laughing at his silliness, he also did his fair share of showing up at public events to entertain as well as promote the Astros and baseball in general. And while Junction Jack had his fans he also had his fair share of haters who thought he was “creepy” looking and other just thought he was way too annoying. I for one like Junction Jack as I think his antics were solid and good, I liked his appearance as I find it to look like a cartoon character come alive and most of all like all he did for the fans at the stadium to bring them a few good belly laughs. But in 2012 the Astros decided to retire him as they changed leagues and with that they got new uniforms as well as brought Orbit back as the teams mascot and with this they forced Junction Jack into retirement. But during his time as the Astros mascot Jack was at least able to appear on some baseball cards as well as other merchandise. One interesting Internet rumor by a YouTuber is that Orbit killed Junction Jack after the debut of the new outfits for the team, he claims that Orbit used a ray gun and shot Jack three times turning him to dust and ending the mascots life…yeah that was just for a comedy video…or was it? But really Junction Jack really was a great mascot that I hope one day will return again to the Astros and show that he still had lots more to give and do.
# 3
Ribbie & Roobarb
Team: Chicago White Sox Debut: 1981 Retired: 1988. World Series Wins: 3
With mascot fever running wild in baseball and while under new ownership the White Sox knew it was time for them to get a mascot for the team and then they figured why not two of them!! So enter Ribbie & Roobarb as pair of strange looking creatures that looked like they walked off the set of The Muppets or Sesame Street and onto the ball field, they would do all types of antics on and off the field, they did many public appearances and tried their best to get the fans to laugh and cheer! I mean how could the fans not like these two as they did their best to become the next big thing in baseball, well the fans disliked the pair from the start and even by the time they were sent packing to the retirement home they had only gained some love that was mostly from kids who grew to enjoy the pair. So looking at these two fun guys and hearing that they did a great job of mascot antics I am sure your asking yourself “How Is It They Were Unpopular And Hated?” well their was two main reasons with one being that fans did not understand them as their look had no ties to the team and this caused many to be confused by them running around the field and stands. But the main reason they were disliked and forced into an early retirement was because of a character called Andy The Clown a guy who had performed at White Sox games sense the 1960’s and had became an unofficial mascot and was someone the fans looked forward to seeing at home games. You see White Sox management wanted to for the loved Andy The Clown to no longer show up to the stadium in costume and this not only was heartbreaking to Andy but also pissed off the fans who loved The Clown! And because of this is why Ribbie & Roobarb were beat up by kids and mocked by the adults. To me the pair were great at what they did and had a fun and interesting look they just debuted at the wrong time and for the wrong reason to drive away a beloved fan who dressed as a clown and truly brought enjoyment to White Sox fans.
# 2
BJ Birdy
Team: Toronto Blue Jays Debut: 1979 Retired: 1999 World Series Wins: 2
I think of all the mascots on this list none of them had as long of a career being a MLB mascot like BJ Birdy who for 20 years was a staple at games for the Blue Jays. BJ Birdy was a master of what he did and all his antics and skits were improve as he would react to what fans and players did to create a fun time for all, and because of his style of antics it set him apart from the others at the time. But while BJ Birdy was well loved he also did have some heat from fans as well as the team as at times his antics would anger people and this caused strain between him and the team from time to time, and in fact at times BJ would take shots at the team’s management in his weekly comic strip, that’s right he had his own strip. In 1993 he was thrown out of a game as his antics annoyed an Umpire who had him tossed out due to that fact he felt the mascots antics were disrespectful. While BJ Birdy was going strong his time with the team came to an end in 1999 as the team decided to send him to the Mascot Retirement home as the partnership between the two was just to sour at the time and the Blue Jays had Ace his replacement on the way. While BJ Birdy seemed like he rocked the boat one to many times in his 20 years of being the team’s mascot one can not say that his antics and appearances did not add to the games, plus being around for 20 years and being loved by almost all says lots for the legacy of him. Now I get that his look might not have been the flashiest and had an almost High School Team Mascot look to it, I for one like just how simple it was and it never rendered him from putting on one heck of a show!
# 1
Youppi!
Team: Montreal Expos Debut: 1978 Retired: 2004 World Series Wins: 0
The Montreal Expos was a Canadian major league baseball team that was created in 1969 and lasted until 2004 before they moved to the United States and became the Washington Nationals and are based out of D.C. and with this changed of nations they not only had a name change but also replaced the team’s mascot and that was the biggest mistake they could have made as they got rid of Youppi! or maybe not as Screech became the Nationals Mascot so we did get a very great mascot that I ranked as my # 4 favorite active mascot in MLB. Youppi! is fantastic and one of the best mascots to grace a baseball field as his antics were funny as hell and he was great with the fans on and off the field as he was well loved and respected. Youppi! could get the fans riled up and cheer of the Expos and he also did a great job of annoying and distracting their opponents as he was the first ever mascot to be thrown out of a game when he pushed the buttons of Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda who complained to the umpires and they tossed him out of the game!! Youppi! has a great look that is fun with his bright orange fur and goofy face and he is also very kid friendly and became an attraction all himself, so you could imagine the sadness fans had when the Expos moved to Washington and Youppi! was sent to the Mascot Retirement Home. Youppi! was in limbo for some times after the move and he was a topic among Canadian sports fans as they missed their beloved mascot and wanted him back. And in 2005 after paying a large six figures amount to the Washington Nationals the pro hockey team Montreal Canadiens rescued Youppi! from the retirement home and he remains as their mascot to this day, and I have to note is still just as funny as before and is just as loved! So you see the tale of Youppi! has a happy ending as he might no longer be in baseball he still is able to do his antics in another sport and is my # 1 best Retired MLB Mascot of all time!
As you can see Major League Baseball has had some amazing Mascots in their past and many of them I still think should be around to this day as they still had lots of funny antics left in their acts to bring joy to the ballpark. And let’s be honest its an amazing thing that MLB has let Youppi! live on in sports with antics on the NHL ice. But the game is over and the Rotten Ink Stadium is closing up until next year and we are going to leave the world of sports mascots behind as for the next update we will be attending an academy…a Police Academy! That’s right we will be taking a look at the film and cartoon series Police Academy that spawned a comic book series by Marvel Comics! So until next time watch a Sports Game or three, cheer your favorite mascot and as always cheer on your favorite team. See you next time for a goofy time with Mahoney and his friends as they stop crime.
Rotten Ink 