Phillie Phanatic

Phillie Phanatic
File:Phillies Phanatic.jpg The Phillie Phanatic makes an appearance during the Phillies-Tigers Spring Training game at Bright House Networks Field in Clearwater, Florida on March 11, 2007.
Team	Philadelphia Phillies
Description	Large, furry, green creature
Origin of name	Fanatical Philadelphia fans
First seen	April 25, 1978
Website	Official Website

The Phillie Phanatic (also called the Philly Phanatic), is the official mascot of the Philadelphia Phillies Major League Baseball team. He is a fat, furry, green creature that somewhat resembles a bird from the rear view with a cylindrical beak containing a tongue that sticks out. The Phillie Phanatic is one of the most recognizable mascots in American sports.

Creation

During the winter after the 1977 season, Dennis Lehman, who thought that the team needed a mascot similar to San Diego's Famous Chicken created the Phanatic with help from Harrison/Erickson of New York City (now known as Acme Mascots), which had ties with Jim Henson's Muppets, and the team's marketing and promotions department. Instead of a number on the back of his jersey, he wears a star. The character was named for the fanatical fans of the team.

According to current owner and former team vice president Bill Giles, the Phanatic was created to attract more families to the Phillies home, Veterans Stadium.

The Phanatic replaced "Philadelphia Phil" and "Philadelphia Phillis", a pair of siblings dressed in 18th-century garb to invoke the city's revolutionary spirit from 1776. The pair were in the team logo from 1976 through 1978, and were part of the team's "Home Run Spectacular" at The Vet from 1971 through 1979. They reappeared with their replacement as the Phillies celebrated their final year at Veterans Stadium in 2003, including opening day and the final game.

The Phanatic debuted on April 25, 1978, at The Vet, when the Phils played the Chicago Cubs. He was formally introduced to the public on the locally-produced children's show "Captain Noah and His Magical Ark" by then-Phillies player Tim McCarver, who was doing promotional work for the team.

In his book Pouring Six Beers At A Time, Giles wrote of the worst decision of his life when it came to the creation of the Phanatic. The design would cost $5,200 for both the costume and the copyright ownership, or $3,900 just for the costume with Harrison/Erickson retaining the copyright. Giles chose to just buy the costume. Five years later, when Giles and his group of investors bought the team from Ruly Carpenter, the franchise paid $250,000 to Harrison/Erickson for the copyright.

Portrayers

The Phillie Phanatic dressed as Rocky Balboa during a game at Veterans Stadium on Opening Day, 1986.

The Phanatic was originally portrayed by David Raymond, who was then working as an intern in the team's front office, for fifteen years, from 1978 to 1993. Raymond's father is retired Delaware Blue Hens Hall of Fame coach Harold "Tubby" Raymond. As of 1993, Tom Burgoyne has served as the Phanatic, although in public maintains that he is the only the Phanatic's "best friend" in order to retain the illusion that the Phanatic is a real creature.

Performance

The Phanatic rides around on an ATV. During games, the Phanatic wanders the stadium, greeting fans and humorously mocking supporters of the opposition. The Phanatic performs a number of regular routines on the field before the game and between innings. Some of these routines are:

• Taunting the visiting team by dancing provocatively in front of their dugout, mocking the actions of their players, and smashing or stomping on an object, such as a batting helmet, representing the team.
• Standing on the roof of the Phillies dugout during the bottom of the seventh inning, he leads the crowd in attempts to "hex" the opposing pitcher.
• Warming up in the bullpen.
• Shooting hot dogs into the stands using a pneumatic gun attached to his ATV.

The Phillie Phanatic with the Montreal Expos' Andres Galarraga in 1987.

The Phanatic's favorite umpire was the late Eric Gregg, a Philadelphia native, and would greet him enthusiastically on the field when Gregg was in charge. Gregg, would often play along with the Phanatic between innings, sometimes dancing with him or otherwise participating in his routines.

The Phanatic's antics are not popular with all opposition players and coaches. The Dodgers' Tommy Lasorda in particular did not like the Phanatic's mocking of the Dodgers. In 1988 he assaulted the Phillie Phanatic during a nationally televised game after the Phanatic stomped on a life sized dummy wearing Lasorda's uniform.

His mother, Phoebe Phanatic, occasionally appears on-field with the Phanatic. He also has a younger cousin Phred who is rarely seen.

One week before the Phillies had their 2006 opener, the Phanatic was "dyed" red as part of the team's week-long promotion to "Paint the Town Red". He was "dipped into a special paint" made by a team sponsor MAB Paints (now Sherwin-Williams) and changed from green to red. He returned to his regular color in time for the season opener for that year. This was repeated for the 2007 season, as he became red at a Philadelphia Fire Department station to help raise funds for smoke alarms in Philadelphia, raising over $4,000. "Paint the Town Red Week" has been repeated prior to the 2008, 2009, and 2010 seasons.

The Phanatic also has the dubious distinction of being the most sued mascot in sports. The Phillies paid a judgment of $2.5 million to a man at a paint store event when the Phanatic jumped the patron with a rough-house bear hug, from which the man sustained serious back injuries.. In 2010, a woman filed suit claiming that the Phanatic injured her knee at a minor league game.

In popular culture

The Phillie Phanatic with fans at Veterans Stadium at a Camera Day pre-game event in 1987.

The Phillie Phanatic in the stands of Veterans Stadium on Opening Day, 1986.

The Phanatic appeared in the closing credits of the film Rocky Balboa (2006).

The Phillie Phanatic appeared in an episode of "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia," although throughout the episode he was referred to as the "Phillie Phrenetic."

The Phanatic appeared on the episode of the television show Jon and Kate Plus 8 titled "Baseball Game with Daddy", where Jon took Cara and all 3 boys to a Phillies game.

The Phanatic's head disappeared during the Phillies' "Final Pieces" charity sale and auction in 2004. Tom Burgoyne had taken off the costume for a break and found the head missing when he returned. One week later, someone anonymously called a local radio station claiming that he found the head and would bring it to the radio station. Police arrested charged Bernard Bechtel with felony theft after he brought the $3,000 head to the station.

In November 2009, the Phanatic was part of a bit on The Late Show with David Letterman called "Get to Know the Phillie Phanatic."

In 2010, the Phanatic appeared in a "This is Sportscenter" promotional advertisement with Derek Jeter of the New York Yankees

Honors

The Phanatic was voted "best mascot ever" by Sports Illustrated for Kids. In January 2008, Forbes magazine named the Phanatic the best mascot in sports.

In 2005, David Raymond founded the Mascot Hall of Fame, and the Phanatic was inducted as a charter member. Since 2003, Burgoyne has written seven children's books, published by the team, featuring the Phanatic.

In 2009, the Phanatic was one of several recipients of the Great Friend to Kids (GFTK) Awards, given by the Please Touch Museum (the Children's Museum of Philadelphia).

The Phillie Phanatic, along with Youppi and the San Diego Chicken, are the only mascots on display at in the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, NY.

In 2010, an assortment of 5 feet (1.5 m) tall, 100 pounds (45 kg) fiberglass statues were painted by artists and are being displayed throughout Philadelphia from April through August with all monies raised going to Phillies' Charities.

"Phun Phacts"

From the Phillies marketing department

• Height: 6.5 feet (2.0 m)
• Weight: 300 pounds (140 kg) (mostly fat)
• Waistline: 90 inches (230 cm)
• Birthplace: Galapagos Islands
• Physical Attributes: Overweight, clumsy feet, extra-long beak, curled up tongue, gawking neck, "slight" case of body odor.
• Mom: Phoebe
• Best Friend: Phyllis
• Favorite Foods: Soft pretzels, scrapple, hoagies, cheesesteaks and Tastykakes
• Favorite Movie: Rocky
• Favorite Song: Motownphilly by Boyz II Men (and Take Me Out To The Ballgame)
• Most Memorable Moment: Riding down Broad Street in the 1980 and 2008 World Series Championship Parades.

Relation to other mascots

In 1989, Orlando's NBA expansion team, the Magic, was founded largely through the efforts of former Philadelphia 76ers General Manager Pat Williams. Williams introduced Stuff, a furry green dragon with similarities to the Phillie Phanatic, as the team's official mascot. When Williams staged the "birth" of Stuff at an Orlando event, the man inside the Stuff was Dave Raymond.

The Hiroshima Toyo Carp mascot Slyly bears a resemblance to the Phanatic. Both characters were designed by Harrison/Erickson.

Phanatic store at the ballpark

Further information: Citizens Bank Park

See also

• List of Major League Baseball mascots
• Mascot Hall of Fame
• Youppi

Further reading

• Leddy, Scott Michael (May 20, 2010). "Phan Phavorites: 10 Most Beloved Phillies Role Players (including the Phanatic)". Philly.com (Bleacher Report: Philadelphia Edition). Philadelphia Media Holdings. Retrieved October 1, 2010.

External links

• Phanatic profile (Phillies official website)
• Brady, Erik (July 25, 2002). Call to Hall suits Phillie Phanatic just fine (about the donation of a Phanatic outfit to the Baseball Hall of Fame). USA Today. Retrieved 2010-10-07.
• The Woman Behind Miss Piggy - Smithsonian Magazine, an interview with Bonnie Erickson