THE MASCOTS
There are members of each baseball team that are not found hitting home runs, throwing strikes or stealing bases. These members give their heart and soul to entertaining the fans and players in the stadium. Mascots not only give a team a label, but make the game just a little bit more interesting for the fans. We took a deeper look into what they are all about.
The Pirate's Parrot runs to sling shot presents to different areas of the stadium.
The Oriole chatting, or should I say chirping to a fan.
The Pirate's Parrot runs to sling shot presents to different areas of the stadium.
INSIDE VIEW OF ENTERTAINMENT
By: Dena Dobrzykowski
Spring training is a laid-back atmosphere that is perfect for mascots. Unlike the players, the mascots are just as active during spring training as they are at regular season games.
They use skits, take pictures and sign autographs for the fans to make the game more interesting; especially in the game’s down time.
Kyle Waldrop, a pitcher participating in Pirates spring training, doesn’t think that the mascots have much effect on the players.
“I think they’re great for the fans, us as players, I don’t think we notice them that much,” Waldrop said. “We are so used to them being there every game we aren’t affected by them.”
However, other players think differently.
According to some of his teammates, the mascots do make quite the impression on the players. The mascots are not only there for the fans but the baseball players enjoy their presence as well.
“I think they’re great. I love interacting with them,” Vic Black, Pirates relief pitcher, said.
Since Black does not pitch until the end of the game, he has more time to interact with the mascots than other players might.
Eric Cordier, also at spring training with the Pirates, was one of the few players that saw the man behind the mask when he was with another team.
“It’s kind of funny how sometimes the person under the mask looks just like the person wearing the mask,” Cordier said.
Revealed or not, the mascots have a way of capturing the attention of people of all ages, especially during spring training. From high-fiving 7-year-olds to signing a 60-year-old man’s baseball, the mascots will always hold a special place in the ball player’s and fan’s hearts.
INTERVIEW WITH THE PIRATE PARROT
The parrot is the official mascot of the Pittsburgh Pirates.
“They’re there to see the guys but at the same time they have the parrot,” Black said. “It’s entertainment and that’s what [fans] come for is entertainment.”