Phillie Phanatic - wikipedia Phillie Phanatic Phillie Phanatic The Phanatic at Bright House Networks Field during a Spring Training game in Clearwater, Florida on March 8, 2016. Team Philadelphia Phillies Description Large, furry, green creature Origin of name Fanatical Philadelphia fans First seen April 25, 1978 Hall of Fame 2005 Website Official Website The Phillie Phanatic is the official mascot of the Philadelphia Phillies Major League Baseball team. He is a large, furry, green bi-pedal flightless bird with an extendable tongue. According to his official biography, the Phanatic is originally from the Galápagos Islands and is the Phillies ' biggest fan. He performs various routines to entertain fans during baseball games at Citizens Bank Park and makes public relation and goodwill appearances for the Phillies. The Phanatic is widely acknowledged as one of the best ballpark mascots, and is arguably the most recognizable mascot in all of North American sports. Contents 1 Creation 2 Portrayers 3 Performance 4 In popular culture 5 Honors 6 Relation to other mascots 7 Phanatic store at the ballpark 8 See also 9 References 10 Further reading 11 External links Creation During the winter after the 1977 season, Dennis Lehman, who along with the Philadelphia Phillies Promotions Director, Frank Sullivan, thought the team needed a mascot similar to the Padres ' San Diego Chicken, created the Phanatic with help from Harrison / Erickson of New York City ( now known as Acme Mascots ), which had ties with Jim Henson 's Muppets. Instead of a number on the back of his jersey, he wears a star. The character was named for the fanatical fans of the team. According to Bill Giles, the Phanatic was created to attract more families to the Phillies ' home, Veterans Stadium. The Phanatic replaced `` Philadelphia Phil '' and `` Philadelphia Phillis '', a pair of siblings dressed in 18th - century garb to invoke the city 's revolutionary spirit from 1776. The pair were in the team logo from 1976 through 1978, and were part of the team 's `` Home Run Spectacular '' at The Vet from 1971 through 1979. They reappeared with their replacement as the Phillies celebrated their final year at Veterans Stadium in 2003, including opening day and the final game. The Phanatic debuted on April 25, 1978, at The Vet, when the Phils played the Chicago Cubs. He was formally introduced to the public on the locally produced children 's show `` Captain Noah and His Magical Ark '' by then - Phillies player Tim McCarver, who was doing promotional work for the team. In his book Pouring Six Beers at a Time, Giles wrote of the worst decision of his life when it came to the creation of the Phanatic. The design would cost $5,200 for both the costume and the copyright ownership, or $3,900 just for the costume with Harrison / Erickson retaining the copyright. Giles chose to just buy the costume. Five years later, when Giles and his group of investors bought the team from Ruly Carpenter, the franchise paid $250,000 to Harrison / Erickson for the copyright. Portrayers The Phillie Phanatic dressed as Rocky Balboa during a game at Veterans Stadium on Opening Day, 1986. The Phanatic was originally portrayed by David Raymond, who was then working as an intern in the team 's front office, for fifteen years, from 1978 to 1993. Raymond 's father is retired Delaware Blue Hens Hall of Fame coach Tubby Raymond. Since 1993, Tom Burgoyne has portrayed the Phanatic, although in public - in order to retain the illusion that the Phanatic is a real creature - Burgoyne maintains that he is only the Phanatic 's `` best friend. '' Performance When the Phillies hosted a `` Star Wars night '' in August 2014, the Phanatic got in on the fun by using a lightsaber atop the visitors ' dugout The Phanatic rides around on an ATV. During games, the Phanatic wanders the stadium, greeting fans and humorously mocking supporters of the opposition. The Phanatic performs a number of regular routines on the field before the game and between innings. Some of these routines are : Taunting the visiting team by dancing provocatively in front of their dugout, mocking the actions of their players, and smashing or stomping on an object, such as a batting helmet, representing the team. Standing on the roof of the Phillies dugout between halves of the seventh inning for `` The Phanatic Dance '' and remaining on the dugout roof for the home half of the inning to `` hex '' the opposing pitcher. Warming up in the bullpen. Shooting hot dogs into the stands using a pneumatic gun attached to his ATV. Visiting the various broadcast booths and committing various pranks such as pouring popcorn on the broadcasters, spraying Silly String on them, or serving them Philly cheesesteaks. Buffing the heads of any bald fans who happen to be sitting near him in the stands. His mother, Phoebe Phanatic, occasionally appears on - field with the Phanatic. He also has a younger cousin Phred, who is rarely seen. The Phillie Phanatic with the Montreal Expos ' Andrés Galarraga in 1987 The Phanatic 's favorite umpire was the late Eric Gregg, a Philadelphia native, and he would greet him enthusiastically on the field when Gregg was in charge. Gregg would often play along with the Phanatic between innings, sometimes dancing with him or otherwise participating in his routines. One week before the Phillies had their 2006 opener, the Phanatic was `` dyed '' red as part of the team 's week - long promotion to `` Paint the Town Red ''. He was `` dipped into a special paint '' made by a team sponsor MAB Paints ( now Sherwin - Williams ) and changed from green to red. He returned to his regular color in time for the season opener for that year. This was repeated for the 2007 season, as he became red at a Philadelphia Fire Department station to help raise funds for smoke alarms in Philadelphia, raising over $4,000. `` Paint the Town Red Week '' has been repeated prior to the 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013 seasons. There is a running gag where the Phanatic humorously mocks opposition players and they would steal his ATV keys in retaliation. However, the Phanatic 's antics are not always popular with opposition players and coaches. The Dodgers ' Tommy Lasorda in particular did not like the Phanatic 's mocking of the Dodgers. In 1988, he assaulted the Phillie Phanatic during a nationally televised game after the Phanatic stomped on a life - sized dummy wearing Lasorda 's uniform ( reportedly provided by Dodger infielder Steve Sax ). The Phanatic also has the dubious distinction of being the most sued mascot in sports. In 2010, a woman filed suit claiming that the Phanatic injured her knee at a minor league game. In popular culture The Phillie Phanatic with fans at Veterans Stadium at a Camera Day pre-game event in 1987. The Phillie Phanatic in the stands of Veterans Stadium on Opening Day, 1986. The Phanatic appeared in the closing credits of the film Rocky Balboa ( 2006 ). The Phanatic appeared on the episode of the television series Jon and Kate Plus 8 titled `` Baseball Game with Daddy '', where Jon took Cara and all three boys to a Phillies game. The Phanatic 's head disappeared during the Phillies ' `` Final Pieces '' charity sale and auction in 2004. Tom Burgoyne had taken off the costume for a break and found the head missing when he returned. One week later, someone anonymously called a local radio station claiming that he found the head and would bring it to the radio station. Police arrested and charged Bernard Bechtel with felony theft after he brought the $3,000 head to the station. In March 2009, the Phanatic appeared on The Simpsons in the episode `` Gone Maggie Gone '', greeting a party of nuns disembarking from a ship at the future site of Philadelphia. In the episode `` Dancin ' Homer '', there is a mascot that looks similar to the Phanatic, the Capital City Goofball. In November 2009, the Phanatic was part of a bit on the Late Show with David Letterman called `` Get to Know the Phillie Phanatic ''. In 2010, the Phanatic appeared in the This is SportsCenter series of advertisements with Derek Jeter of the New York Yankees. The Phanatic was mimicked in an episode of It 's Always Sunny in Philadelphia called `` The World Series Defense ''. In the episode, Charlie 's `` Green Man '' challenges that the `` Phrenetic '' ( as it is referred to in the episode ) should not be the only mascot for the Phillies. He is promptly put in his place by the `` Phrenetic ''. In an interview with Angelo Cataldi, Tom Burgoyne revealed that Major League Baseball declined to allow the Phanatic to be used in the episode. Charlie references this at the conclusion of the episode, attempting to file a countersuit against Major League Baseball due to the fact that he has to call the mascot the `` Phrenetic '' when he knows its name is the `` Phanatic ''. On January 26, 2012, the Phanatic ( credited to Tom Burgoyne ) appeared as itself on an episode of the NBC sitcom 30 Rock called `` The Ballad of Kenneth Parcell ''. In 2015, the podcast 99 % Invisible did an episode about the evolution of mascots focusing on the creation of the Phanatic. The Phanatic was also on an episode of the show The Goldbergs in 2014 called `` The Lost Boy '', and made a cameo appearance on College GameDay when the ESPN show visited Philadelphia for a matchup between Temple and Notre Dame. Honors The Phanatic was voted `` best mascot ever '' by Sports Illustrated Kids. In January 2008, Forbes magazine named the Phanatic the best mascot in sports. In 2005, David Raymond founded the Mascot Hall of Fame, and the Phanatic was inducted as a charter member. Since 2003, Burgoyne has written several children 's books, published by the team, featuring the Phanatic. In 2009, the Phanatic was one of several recipients of the Great Friend to Kids ( GFTK ) Awards, given by the Please Touch Museum ( the Children 's Museum of Philadelphia ). The Phillie Phanatic, along with Youppi ! and the San Diego Chicken, are the only mascots on display in the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, New York. In 2010, an assortment of 5 feet ( 1.5 m ) tall, 100 pounds ( 45 kg ) fiberglass statues were painted by artists and placed on display throughout Philadelphia from April through August with all monies raised going to Phillies ' Charities. In 2015, Good Morning America bestowed the honor of the best mascot in baseball on the Phanatic. Relation to other mascots In 1989, Orlando 's NBA expansion team, the Magic, was founded largely through the efforts of former Philadelphia 76ers General Manager Pat Williams. Williams introduced Stuff, a furry green dragon with similarities to the Phillie Phanatic, as the team 's official mascot. When Williams staged the `` birth '' of Stuff at an Orlando event, the man inside the Stuff was Dave Raymond. The Hiroshima Toyo Carp mascot Slyly bears a resemblance to the Phanatic. Both characters were designed by Harrison / Erickson. Phanatic store at the ballpark Further information : Citizens Bank Park See also Philadelphia portal List of Major League Baseball mascots Mascot Hall of Fame References Jump up ^ Saksa, Jim. `` Being The Philly Phanatic ''. NPR. NPR. Retrieved 13 October 2017. Jump up ^ VanRipper, Tom ( April 18, 2011 ). `` America 's Favorite Sports Mascots ''. Forbes.com LLC. Retrieved May 4, 2012. Jump up ^ Brown, David ( May 2, 2012 ). `` Where 's Youppi ? Mr. Met named top sports mascot by fans ''. Yahoo ! Sports. Sunnyvale, California : Yahoo !. Retrieved May 4, 2012. Jump up ^ `` No One Needs to Tell Philly the Phanatic 's the Best ''. Philadelphia. May 9, 2012. Jump up ^ Hill, Benjamin ( August 12, 2008 ). `` Mascot showdown : Phillie Phanatic vs. Parker ''. MLB Advanced Media, L.P. Retrieved June 19, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Phanatic ! A Phanumentary ''. Retrieved March 6, 2007. A student film produced for the whyy.org web site in 2006 Jump up ^ See List of Major League Baseball mascots # Philadelphia Phil and Philadelphia Phillis. Jump up ^ `` Hatfield Hotdog Launcher Documentary ''. YouTube. www.youtube.com. Retrieved 2010 - 09 - 03. Jump up ^ `` Youtube -- The Phanatic jokes around in the Padres booth ''. September 11, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Youtube -- Corporan steals Phillie Phanatic 's keys ''. August 7, 2014. Jump up ^ `` Did Jayson Werth steal the Phillie Phanatic 's car keys ? ''. USA Today. June 18, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Video : Marlins ' Miguel Olivo steals keys to Phanatic 's ATV ''. philly.com. May 6, 2013. Jump up ^ `` I Hate the Phillie Phanatic ''. Tommy Lasorda 's World. mlblogs.com. July 20, 2005. Retrieved 2010 - 09 - 03. Jump up ^ `` Youtube -- LAD@PHI : Lasorda has enough with the Philly Phanatic ''. November 2, 2013. Jump up ^ Roth, Tanya ( July 2, 2010 ). `` Phillie Phanatic Sued... Again ''. Injured : The Findlaw Accident, Injury and Tort Law Blog. findlaw.com. Retrieved 2010 - 09 - 03. Jump up ^ Farr, Stephanie ( June 30, 2010 ). `` Big green litigation machine ''. Philadelphia Daily News. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania : www.philly.com. Retrieved 2010 - 09 - 03. Jump up ^ Kennedy, Rusty ( February 14, 2004 ). `` Phanatic 's head back in place ''. USA Today. Retrieved May 17, 2011. Jump up ^ David Letterman ( November 3, 2009 ). `` Get To Know The Phillie Phanatic - Season 17 - Episode 3208 '' ( Video ). CBS.com. Retrieved 2011 - 02 - 03. Jump up ^ `` Phillie Phanatic Stars in SportsCenter Commercial with Derek Jeter ''. Crossing Broad. www.crossingbroad.com. Retrieved 2010 - 10 - 11. Jump up ^ `` La Mascotte ''. February 3, 2015. Jump up ^ `` This Day In Sports History ( April 25th ) -- Phillie Phanatic - Total Pro Sports ''. Archived from the original on May 13, 2012. Jump up ^ Santoliquito, Joseph ( January 18, 2008 ). `` Phillie Phanatic earns top mascot honor ''. The Official Site of the Philadelphia Phillies. phillies.mlb.com. Retrieved 2010 - 09 - 03. Jump up ^ `` Tom Burgoyne - Books, Biography, Contact Information ''. Jump up ^ `` Please Touch Museum announces winners of the 14th annual ' Great Friend to Kids Awards ' ''. The Official Site of the Philadelphia Phillies. phillies.mlb.com. September 3, 2009. Retrieved 2010 - 09 - 03. Jump up ^ `` '' Phanatic Around Town '' Summer Promotion ``. VisitPhilly.com. Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation. Archived from the original on July 27, 2011. Retrieved September 3, 2010. Jump up ^ `` ' Good Morning America ' bestows the honor of ' best mascot in baseball ' on the Phillie Phanatic ''. mlb.com. Jump up ^ Schmitz, Brian ( April 17, 2009 ). `` The Orlando Magic have many connections to the city of Philadelphia and their playoff foe 76ers ''. Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved 2010 - 10 - 11. Jump up ^ Ellsesser, Stephen ( August 25, 2006 ). `` Yakyu means baseball : Funny business ''. MLB.com. MLB Advanced Media, LPC. Retrieved 2010 - 10 - 11. Further reading Leddy, Scott Michael ( May 20, 2010 ). `` Phan Phavorites : 10 Most Beloved Phillies Role Players ( including the Phanatic ) ''. Philly.com ( Bleacher Report : Philadelphia Edition ). Philadelphia Media Holdings. Retrieved 2010 - 10 - 01. External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to Phillie Phanatic. Phanatic profile ( Phillies official website ) Pro-skateboarder Chris Cole explains what the Phillie Phanatic is Brady, Erik ( July 25, 2002 ). Call to Hall suits Phillie Phanatic just fine ( about the donation of a Phanatic outfit to the Baseball Hall of Fame ). USA Today. Retrieved 2010 - 10 - 07. The Woman Behind Miss Piggy - Smithsonian Magazine, an interview with Bonnie Erickson ( 1 ) How to make a Simple Phillie Phanatic Costume. Major League Baseball mascots by team American League East The Bird ( Baltimore Orioles ) Wally the Green Monster ( Boston Red Sox ) No mascot ( New York Yankees ) Raymond ( Tampa Bay Rays ) Ace ( Toronto Blue Jays ) Central Southpaw ( Chicago White Sox ) Slider ( Cleveland Indians ) Paws ( Detroit Tigers ) Sluggerrr ( Kansas City Royals ) T.C. Bear ( Minnesota Twins ) West Orbit ( Houston Astros ) No mascot ( Los Angeles Angels ) Stomper ( Oakland Athletics ) Mariner Moose ( Seattle Mariners ) Captain ( Texas Rangers ) National League East Homer ( Atlanta Braves ) Billy the Marlin ( Miami Marlins ) Mr. Met ( New York Mets ) Phillie Phanatic ( Philadelphia Phillies ) Screech ( Washington Nationals ) Central Clark ( Chicago Cubs ) Mr. Redlegs ( Cincinnati Reds ) Bernie Brewer ( Milwaukee Brewers ) Pirate Parrot ( Pittsburgh Pirates ) Fredbird ( St. Louis Cardinals ) West D. Baxter the Bobcat ( Arizona Diamondbacks ) Dinger ( Colorado Rockies ) No mascot ( Los Angeles Dodgers ) Swinging Friar ( San Diego Padres ) Lou Seal ( San Francisco Giants ) Secondary mascots Lefty and Righty ( Boston Red Sox ) Gapper ( Cincinnati Reds ) Rosie Red ( Cincinnati Reds ) Barrelman ( Milwaukee Brewers ) Hank ( Milwaukee Brewers ) The Sausages ( Milwaukee Brewers ) Mrs. Met ( New York Mets ) The Pierogis ( Pittsburgh Pirates ) Rally Squirrel ( St. Louis Cardinals ) DJ Kitty ( Tampa Bay Rays ) Ace Jr. ( Toronto Blue Jays ) The Presidents ( Washington Nationals ) Former mascots Chief Noc - A-Homa ( Atlanta Braves ) Rally ( Atlanta Braves ) Ribbie and Roobarb ( Chicago White Sox ) Mr. Red ( Cincinnati Reds ) Astrojack and Astrodillo ( Houston Astros ) Chester Charge ( Houston Astros ) General Admission ( Houston Astros ) Junction Jack ( Houston Astros ) Charlie - O ( Kansas City - Oakland Athletics ) Rally Monkey ( Los Angeles Angels ) Bonnie Brewer ( Milwaukee Brewers ) Twinkie the Loon ( Minnesota Twins ) Souki ( Montreal Expos ) Youppi ! ( Montreal Expos ) Mettle the Mule ( New York Mets ) Dandy ( New York Yankees ) Philadelphia Phil and Phillis ( Philadelphia Phillies ) San Diego Chicken ( San Diego Padres ) Crazy Crab ( San Francisco Giants ) Rootin ' Tootin ' Ranger ( Texas Rangers ) BJ Birdy ( Toronto Blue Jays ) Diamond ( Toronto Blue Jays ) Philadelphia Phillies Formerly the Philadelphia Quakers Based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Franchise History Seasons Records Players Owners and executives Managers Broadcasters Opening Day starting pitchers First - round picks No - hitters Award winners and league leaders Ballparks Recreation Park Baker Bowl Shibe Park Veterans Stadium Citizens Bank Park Spring training Fogel Field Coffee Pot Park Rickwood Field Cooke Field City Park / Ninth Street Park Wilmington Park Flamingo Field Clearwater Athletic Field Jack Russell Memorial Stadium Carpenter Complex / Spectrum Field Culture and lore Phillie Phanatic The Man of a Zillion Words `` Outta Here ! '' Whitey Curse of Billy Penn Hot Pants Patrol Ashburn Alley Whiz Kids The Cardiac Kids Wheeze Kids Macho Row Phillies Turn Back the Clock Baseball Wall of Fame Sports Hall of Fame Philadelphia Phillies ( NFL ) `` High Hopes '' `` The Sound of Philadelphia '' `` Whoomp ! ( There It Is ) '' Jim Bunning 's perfect game The Phold Black Friday `` I did n't get the job done '' Franchise awards `` Team to Beat '' Lidge 's Perfect Season `` In Case of Emergency, Use Stairs '' `` The World Series Defense '' ( It 's Always Sunny in Philadelphia episode ) Roy Halladay 's perfect game The Four Aces Maje McDonnell Tony Lucadello Paul Richardson Dan Baker Rivalries New York Mets Pittsburgh Pirates Philadelphia Athletics ( City Series ) Important figures Wall of Fame members Grover Cleveland Alexander Dick Allen Richie Ashburn Bob Boone Larry Bowa Jim Bunning Pat Burrell Johnny Callison Steve Carlton Gavvy Cravath Darren Daulton Ed Delahanty Del Ennis Dallas Green Billy Hamilton Granny Hamner Willie Jones Harry Kalas Chuck Klein John Kruk Mike Lieberthal Greg Luzinski Garry Maddox Sherry Magee Charlie Manuel Tug McGraw Paul Owens Robin Roberts Juan Samuel Curt Schilling Mike Schmidt Chris Short Curt Simmons Tony Taylor Jim Thome Sam Thompson John Vukovich Cy Williams Franchise record holders John Coleman Bill Duggleby Lenny Dykstra Kid Gleason Ryan Howard George McQuillan José Mesa Lefty O'Doul Jimmy Rollins Curt Schilling Kent Tekulve Chase Utley Retired numbers 14 20 32 36 42 Key personnel Owner : Limited partnership ( John S. Middleton, Jim & Pete Buck, David Montgomery, & Pat Gillick ) President : Andy MacPhail General Manager : Matt Klentak Manager : Vacant World Series championships ( 2 ) 1980 2008 NL pennants ( 7 ) 1915 1950 1980 1993 2008 2009 Division championships ( 11 ) 1976 1977 1978 1980 1993 2007 2008 2009 2011 Minor league affiliates AAA Lehigh Valley IronPigs AA Reading Fightin Phils A Adv. Clearwater Threshers Lakewood BlueClaws Short A Williamsport Crosscutters Rookie GCL Phillies DSL Phillies 1 DSL Phillies 2 Rosters Minor league rosters Broadcasting Television NBC Sports Philadelphia WCAU Radio 94 WIP ( English flagship station ) El Pasaporte ( Spanish flagship station ) Phillies radio network affiliates Broadcasters Tom McCarthy John Kruk Ben Davis Mike Schmidt Scott Franzke Larry Andersen Seasons ( 136 ) 1880s 1880 1881 1882 1883 1884 1885 1886 1887 1888 1889 1890s 1890 1891 1892 1893 1894 1895 1896 1897 1898 1899 1900s 1900 1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909 1910s 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920s 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930s 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940s 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950s 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960s 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970s 1970 1971 1972 1973 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980s 1980 1981 1982 1984 1985 1986 1990s 1993 2000s 2010s 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Phillie_Phanatic&oldid=805159773 '' Categories : Major League Baseball team mascots Philadelphia Phillies Fictional characters introduced in 1978 Culture of Philadelphia Hidden categories : All articles with dead external links Articles with dead external links from September 2010 Use mdy dates from June 2013 Talk Contents About Wikipedia Čeština Deutsch 日本 語 Edit links This page was last edited on 13 October 2017, at 13 : 26. 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Question: is the philly phanatic a boy or a girl
Answer: He is a large, furry, green bi-pedal flightless bird