While cleaning out a number of links in my favorites, I came across one that had piqued my interest but that I had forgotten about – Mark Monninger, the Dodgers Rally Bear. I watched the video that accompanied the article and certainly enjoyed the performance as apparently did the fans around the mascot before he was removed by the security people. I should make it clear from the beginning that I didn’t approve of his sneak attack but was also appalled at his punishment.

Mark Monninger had previously worked for five years as “Tremor,” the much renowned and beloved mascot with the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes, the Dodgers High-A affiliate in the California League. He has tried to persuade both the Dodgers and Angels to hire him as a mascot. They refused so he decided to do it on his own. Either by direct communication or going rogue he did not convince the Dodgers or the Angels to change their “no mascot” policy. In the end, to escape arrest, he signed a statement that he would not come back to Dodger Stadium for six months. I understand the top of the dugout rule and no covering the face rule but six months surprised me. Do fans who gets drunk and are obnoxious to the point of being removed get banned from Dodger Stadium for six months? Perhaps they do.

Tremor is a huge fan favorite at the Rancho Cucamonga Epicenter (LoanMart Field), especially for kids.
(Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

His performance and the fan reaction again gives rise to the question – should the Dodgers have a mascot? Before the Expos left Montreal our son and I made several trips to Montreal to see the Expos play. We actually spend as much time driving there and home as we did while we were there. Unfortunately we didn’t see the Dodgers play but nevertheless enjoyed the baseball atmosphere and games. Besides the game, the food and the fanfare, we enjoyed Youppi! – the Montreal Expos mascot (the exclamation point is his jersey number). He was not new to us as he began his career as a mascot with the Expos in 1979 but until our visits we had only seen glimpses of Youppi! in small segments on TV. Between innings and other stoppages in the game he went full out to keep the crowd engaged .

I might add that Youppi! had a Dodger connection. He was the first mascot to be thrown out of a Major League Baseball game. On August 23, 1989, in the 11th inning, while atop the visitors’ dugout, Youppi! took a running leap, landing hard and noisily on its roof, and then snuck into a front row seat. The manager of that team complained to the umpire and Youppi! was ejected from the game. Any guesses who that manager was? The Dodger connection kind of gave it away. It was none other than our own Tommy Lasorda.

Youppi! and Tommy Lasorda have another connection – they are both in the Baseball Hall of Fame. Youppi! is often referred to as one of only three mascots inducted to the Baseball Hall of Fame. The other two are the Phillie Phanatic and the San Diego Chicken. Actually, although their likenesses can be found in displays in the HOF, they have never been officially inducted into the famed institution. Youppi! is now the mascot of the Montreal Canadiens in the National Hockey League.

So – back to the question. Most National League Hockey teams, National Football League teams, and National Basketball League teams have mascots. In Major League baseball only the Dodgers, Yankees and Angels do not have mascots. The Chicago Cubs, long a hold out, adopted a mascot (“Clark the Bear”) at the beginning of the 2013 season. That left only there.

Why is it these three teams have no mascots and more specifically the Dodgers and Angels? Can it be that the fans of these teams are more sophisticated or more engaged in the game than other fans? In the land of Mickey, Minnie, Goofy and the Charlie Brown characters, how could a mascot possibly be out of place? I expect those characters are there for the kids although in our visits to Disneyland and Knott’s Berry Farm my wife and I certainly enjoyed them along with our children.

Baseball teams try very hard to entertain the kids as well as their parents. Children run the bases, throw baseballs, have playground areas, have kid size treats and yes – mascots to entertain them. Keeping the children interested in coming back to the games is a major part of the mascots work, and it is hard work.

David Raymond, who was the Phillie Phantic for seventeen years, now operates the Raymond Entertainment Group based in Newark, Delaware. His company consults with sports teams on how to make the fan experience more fun. “More and more people in sports have come to understand the depth and breadth of what we call ‘character branding,’” Raymond said. “Your mascot is a living, breathing brand extension. This ought to be our most important marketing tool, a chance to make our message memorable to our fans or our customers without sounding like we’re selling something to them.”

Some may think that the mascot is a passing fad. If so, it is a long lasting fad started in 1964 when the New York Mets began play in Shea Stadium. The first MLB mascot – Mr. Met. I expect it is Dodger heresy to mention the hated Giants but there is one thing admirable about that team. Their mascot, Joel Zimei, has attended 1,051 straight home games as “Lou Seal”. He is the Cal Ripkin of mascots never having been on the DL. He is a “ Beloved figure at AT&T Park who rides around the field on a little scooter, performs atop the dugout and pops up everywhere from the outfield bleachers to corporate suites to trade high fives with Giants fans.”

I expect all Dodger fans remember Tommy Lasorda’s encounter with the Phillie Phanatic on July 28, 1988. The famed Phillie Phanatic had brought out a dummy dressed in a blue jersey with Tommy’s name printed on the back. He started thrashing it about. Unable to take any more Tommy chased the Phanatic, took away the dummy and knocked the Phanatic over. Now don’t tell me that isn’t funny. If you are at spring training I dare you to ask Tommy if that was staged.

The question of the day is: When does the Dodgers mascot “Blue” begin his training exercises for the upcoming season? As Skip Schumaker said after the impromptu “Rally Bear” visit: “I think it’s all about having fun for the kids. Who doesn’t like a mascot? It would be great for any team.”