"The best mascot in baseball"
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Tim McCarver,
sportscaster and former
MLB pitcher
The Phillie Phanatic is the huge, green, wanna-be birdlike mascot for the Philadelphia Phillies since 1978. The Phanatic was born in the Galapagos Islands. This macot is famous for shooting hotdogs into the crowds at Veteran's Stadium, located in Philadelphia. This mascot has a long white tongue that can be shot out of its cylinder-looking mouth. He has a younger cousin named Phred.
The Phillie Phanatic's costume will be donated into the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum's permament collections on July 27 at the Clark Sports Center in Cooperstown, NY.
The Phanatic costume will join those of the Chicken, originally of the San Diego Padres, and Youppi, the former mascot of the Montreal Expos (and current mascot of the Montreal Canadiens).
In 1981, the Phillie Phanatic accidentally knocked over a 68 year-old man at a church carnival.
David Raymond spent sixteen years as the Phanatic. William Keffer and Tom Burgoyne have also spent time in the Phanatic costume in recent years.
Some info via:
http://www.heckledepot.com/hallfame.shtml
http://www.phillies.com
http://www.philly.com