(organ music)
- [Voiceover] The green fur, the gyrating belly,
the party horn nose. This is Phillie Phanatic,
mascot for the Philadelphia Phillies.
The Phillies' mascot is maybe the wackiest of them all,
at least in the MLB, but it wasn't always that way.
In the 1970s, the Phillies had Philadelphia Phil
and Philadelphia Phillis, a pair of mascots
straight out of the 18th century,
and they were, well, boring.
(record scratching) So the Phillies pivoted.
They commissioned Bonnie and Wayde,
two Muppet makers who had worked alongside
puppet mastermind Jim Henson.
The Phillies decided to create a family-friendly,
attention-grabbing mascot, and on April 25, 1978
the Phillie Phanatic made his triumphant debut.
All six feet of green fur made its way out onto the field
to roaring applause.
(crowd cheering)
38 years later, the big, green, ATV riding,
Super Soaker wielding Phanatic
is still making the crowds go wild.
(clapping and cheering)
So all you Phillies fans,
give it up for the Phillie Phanatic.
(exciting drum music)