My 5yo daughter is TERRIFIED of mascots. First one she saw was a couple of years ago at a Brooklyn Cyclones game (NY Penn League)- they have a seagull. She screamed and fled. Since then, encounters with the Yale bulldog, the Elmos in Times Square, and whatever the hell the Islanders thing is have been met with a cry of "MASSSCOTTT!!!" and a full-blown nutty, from an otherwise levelheaded kid.
I think the rally monkey and thunder sticks more than offset any embarrassment a mascot may bring.
The Mets and Reds also have female mascots according to wikipedia, and a few other clubs have in the past. And I'd argue that a truly progressive move would be that the strange looking alien thing would be female without needing a bunch of "girly" things added to it - there's nothing about Wally inherently making him male other than that male is the default in society so it was decreed that he's a he.
The Yankees were set to use this monstrosity in the early 80s, but chickened out literally the day before it was to make its debut:
Here's a good story about Dandy: http://gothamist.com/2015/04/10/bring_dandy_back_yankees.php.
Good question - would think there would be some argument that it should be a woman in the suit - equal opportunity and all....
You are so right. What is she, a cheerleader? Was someone in the Sox FO thinking of A League of Their Own? Half a mo, I just realized that Wally is a cheerleader, too. Neither one of them plays the game, they model cheering for the young fan. That's a stupid Nancy skirt, but in pants, how could you tell them apart? I'm beginning to think this might be rocket science and require a highly paid professional staff position. Maybe they do need the dentist after all.
No, we're gonna hold off on the transgender mascot until after the '17 season.
. I always pictured Thurman Munson (post plane crash). Looking like the smoking guy from Beetlejuice.The Yankees were set to use this monstrosity in the early 80s, but chickened out literally the day before it was to make its debut:
His name was Dandy (as in Yankee Doodle Dandy) and I believe that the MFYs worked with Children's Television Workshop or Sesame Street or Jim Henson to come up with this. I think he kind of looks like Thurman Munson (post plane crash).
It's his Sunday notes column. The Tessie comment is in the Apropos of Nothing section. I can't help you if you don't have a subscription, or have used up your free reads
Because Wally can only be in one place at a time.
Since Tessie only gets paid 70% of what Wally does, it makes financial sense for the team to go in this direction.
