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ATVs and baseball team mascots seem to be natural enemies.
The Norfolk Tides’ (the Triple-A affiliate for the Baltimore Orioles) mascot, Rip Tide, recently fell off his ATV like a heap of carpet while taking a right turn on the field. To top the embarrassing crash, Rip Tide’s ATV refused to start up again. Good thing those costumes are padded. Go ahead and laugh, Riptide is fine.
Rip Tide is not the first — and I am sure not the last — oversized Muppet to feel the wrath of a 4-wheeler. The battle between these two rivals has a deep rooted history.
In 2008, Mr. Redlegs, the Cincinnati Reds mascot, broke the cardinal rule when his head popped off after he fell from an ATV — terrifying children who watched the head roll for a good 5 to 10 feet in the outfield.
Moose are usually not aggressive toward humans, but can be when provoked or frightened. Between innings at a Mariners-Red Sox game at Safeco Field on Aug. 5, 2007, Mariner Moose entertained fans with an ATV ride around the ballpark. But calamity ensued when the Moose motored down the third-base line and took out Boston outfielder Coco Crisp. Mariner Moose also broke his ankle in 1995 while being towed on skates behind his ATV.
Last but not least is the Phillie Phanatic, who ran through a fence at the VETS last season during the $1 Hot Dog Day. If anyone can find a video of this please post a link in the comments below.
Will mascots soon become extinct? Only time will tell.