There aremore than 100 Minor League baseball teamsspread across 43 states throughout the U.S. Almost all of them offer a glance into the singular ethnic identity of their specific region and its occupant — and there ’s no better way to show off that local flair ( and sell wad of merchandise and tickets ) than with an outrageous mascot .
These brilliantly dark-skinned characters are more than just a fun distraction for Kid at the park ; they ’re integral to how a Minor League baseball team operates . “ Given the fact we ’re Minor League baseball , we do n’t have control over our rosters , and player come and go at the motivation of the Major League club , ” John Traub , general manager for theAlbuquerque Isotopes , tells Mental Floss . “ People discover you with your mascot at the Minor League baseball level . The mascot becomes the face of the franchise . you could do mascot appearances throughout the class . You ca n’t do player appearances all the time for various reasons . But your mascot is always usable . That ’s the important role of your mascot . ”
And when you ask a boldness for your squad , you ’d better make certain it sticks out from the crowd . Let ’s break out the monkey nut and take a stroll past a few of the oddball mascots the Minor League has to offer .
1. Big Mo // Montgomery Biscuits
Montgomery , Alabama ’s three-fold - A affiliate for the Tampa Bay Rays is known asthe Biscuits . If you head to a ball game at the Riverwalk Stadium , you ’re sure to support witness to Big Mo , a giant anteater who ’s famed for his sexual love of scarf down the team ’s trademark doughy treats .
In late eld , Big Mo has risen to famous person status . He ’s been spottedhangingout with instrumentalist and wonSports Illustrated ’s " Mascot of the Year " award in 2016 , an honor heaccepted in a videowith the help of his translator , former Biscuits ecumenical manager Scott Trible . Mo is also probably the first mascot to ever publiclygo on a dietas part of a campaign with Scale Back Alabama . He ’s now down to one biscuit per daytime .
2. Barley // Hillsboro Hops
Hillsboro is a small city site on the outskirt of Portland , Oregon , in a commonwealth known for itsabundance of cunning breweriesandhop theatre . So it makes perfect sentiency that Hillsboro ’s high-pitched - A baseball team should be scream the Hops , after that oh - so - of import ingredient in your favorite dry pint of suds . The squad is go by its mascot , Barley ( full name Barley T. Hop ) , a smiling , anthropomorphic hops flower who materialise to be a voracioustweeter .
3. Mudonna // St. Paul Saints
The Saints are St. Paul , Minnesota ’s Triple - A affiliate for the Minnesota Twins . It ’s a venerable franchise that has been around in one form or another since1884 , but thing have changed for the team quite a spot over the retiring 137 years .
Every season since 1993 , the Saints have picked a new fuzz to serve as their curly - dog mascot , and sports fan have been allowed to vote on the name . retiring porkersof banknote let in Stephen Colboar , Brat Favre , and Boarack Ohama . commence in 2003 , these punny pigs were join by Mudonna , a shockingly pinkish attending hogget that the team describes as “ the providential swine , the prima donna of the diamond , the duchess of porc . ”And yes , Mudonna is also available for birthday parties .
4. Mussel Man // Fort Myers Mighty Mussels
The long - running Fort Myers Miracles , exclusive - A affiliate for the Minnesota Twins , changed their nameto the Mighty Mussels in 2019 , calling back to one of the field ’s favorite seafood peach . The squad ’s new mascot , which can only be line as a cartoon superhero version of a mollusc with a cape and dismay frigid smiling , is sleep with as Mussel Man . Sadly , the 2020 season never happened for the Minor Leagues , so the Fort Myers team has yet to act a game as the Mighty Mussels — but they ’ll finally get their hazard in 2021 .
5. Dusty // Tri-City Dust Devils
Along the southern border of Washington state , the towns of Kennewick , Pasco , and Richland are conjointly lie with as the Tri - City sphere . Since 2001 , the region has been home to theDust Devils , the Single - A affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels .
Washington is famous for Seattle ’s long rainy seasons , but the lower part of the state features a more temperate climate with mile of tilled land that often see far less precipitation . Duringdry seasons , crap from the fields across the realm kick back up to organise whirlwinds . To pay court to this noted weather condition practice , the team slap a baseball game uniform onto a cartoony junk devil costume , and Dusty the mascot was born . This grinning innate disaster can nowbe recover onhats , plush wench , and more .
6. Scampi // Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp
The Jumbo Shrimpof Jacksonville , Florida , moved upto Triple - A for the 2021 season as a Minor League affiliate of the Miami Marlins . Their fan are affectionately known as the " Crustacean Nation , " which is well one of the enceinte name for any fan understructure in sports ( they ’ve also been known to wearshrimp - themed fanny packswithout ignominy ) . InApril 2017 , the squad unveiled a fuzzy pink shrimp mascot that buff vote to name Scampi ( which trounce out the names Jumbo , Rocky , and Shelley ) . The team was poised to host a gender reveal party for Scampi in 2020 , but it was prorogue due to the COVID-19 pandemic . There ’s no watchword yet on whether or not they ’ll give it another go in 2021 .
7. Loco // Altoona Curve
In Altoona , Pennsylvania , the Double - A affiliate for the Pittsburgh Pirates is identify for theHorseshoe Curve , a three - track curve railroad turn up in Blair County . The squad mascot , Loco , looks like any other fiber on this listing at first coup d’oeil . After all , he ’s a furred chicken creature of indistinguishable origin with a baseball for a nose and bulbous heart . But it ’s hisintricate backstorythat separates him from the rest .
As the tarradiddle give way , the Horseshoe Curve ’s engineer , J. Edgar Thompson , used mysterious creatures know as Golden Locotami in the 1840s to aid him make the railroad runway . Loco is apparently the modern - twenty-four hours representation of these local legends . hat off to the Altoona Curve for creating full - fuck up folklore around their mascot .
8. Orbit // Albuquerque Isotopes
The Albuquerque Isotopes , who realize their team name froma 2001 episodeofThe Simpsons , are the Triple - A affiliate for the Colorado Rockies . They ’re led by their mascot , Orbit , a cartwheeling extraterrestrial who cod ‘ tope fans during the game .
“ Orbit is a magnanimous muzzy orange tree alien — huggable and lovable among citizenry of all ages , ” Traub says . “ He ’s a form of a space - bear - dog type of creature . He does n’t like to be identified by one finical solidification of terms . ”
