Mariner Moose

The Mariner Moose is the team mascot of the Seattle Mariners, a Major League Baseball team. He is an anthropomorphic moose who mainly appears and performs during Mariners home games at T-Mobile Park; he additionally makes several hundred appearances in the community each year, at everything from hospitals to wedding receptions. His appearance has relatively remained unchanged since his introduction in 1990, making him one of the most recognizable and popular mascots throughout all of Major League Baseball.

Mariner Moose
TeamSeattle Mariners
DescriptionMoose
First seenApril 13, 1990
WebsiteOfficial Website

History

In 1990, a contest for children 14 and under was held to select a mascot for the team under then-owner Jeff Smulyan. Out of 2500 entries received, the club chose the "Mariner Moose," originally submitted by Ammon Spiller of Bellingham, Washington, then a fifth-grader at Central Elementary School in nearby Ferndale. The runner-up was a sea monster.[1][2] The Moose made his debut during the Mariners home opener on April 13, 1990, dancing on the field in front of a sell-out crowd at the Kingdome to the tune of "The Future's So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades" by Timbuk 3.[3] However, his introduction was not warmly received; Mariners fans repeatedly chanted, "Kill the Moose," during the game. The reception was so negative that the team reportedly sent him to Philadelphia to take lessons from the Phillie Phanatic.[4]

Rollerblading behind an ATV was commonplace for the Moose during his tenure at the Kingdome,[5] though this performance on the stadium's AstroTurf resulted in a notorious incident in 1995 (see below). It was a fan favorite until the Mariners moved to T-Mobile Park (then Safeco Field) in 1999 with a natural grass playing surface accompanying the place. Since then, the Moose has become quite adept at driving his own ATV around T-Mobile Park's warning track while performing various tricks, such as performing backflips off his ATV or having water coolers emptied on him by bullpen pitchers.

In light of the 1996 United States presidential election, Nike developed a television ad campaign that year entitled "Griffey in '96" wherein Mariners outfielder Ken Griffey, Jr. was running for President, with the Mariner Moose as his running mate.[6][7]

The Mariner Moose was featured on the ballot for the Mascot Hall of Fame in 2006 and 2007.

Mariners fans at T-Mobile Park have been known to express approval or disapproval by engaging in the "moose call." The caller places hands on either side of their head in imitation of moose antlers, hands outspread, thumbs to temples, and yells "moooooo" while wiggling their fingers.

Incidents

During the 1995 American League Division Series between the Mariners and the New York Yankees, the Moose gained national attention when, in the middle of the fifth inning in Game 4, he crashed into the outfield wall at the Kingdome while being towed on inline skates behind an ATV in the outfield. The person portraying the Moose, Brett Rhinehardt, suffered a compound fracture of his right ankle as well as a dislocated fibula.[5][8] Incidentally, the Mariners' subsequent opponent in the Championship Series, the Cleveland Indians, also had their mascot, Slider, suffer an injury with torn knee ligaments in that series.[8]

During a Mariners home game at then-Safeco Field versus the Boston Red Sox on August 5, 2007, the Mariner Moose was riding his ATV in the middle of the fifth inning when he collided with Coco Crisp, who did not notice him as he was leaving the Red Sox dugout. Crisp was clipped on the knee by the ATV and stumbled briefly, but was not angered by the incident despite the ire of some of his teammates; he even played along by feigning retaliation with a fake throw of his glove at the Moose. Despite Mariners general manager Bill Bavasi quickly apologizing to Red Sox counterpart Terry Francona, the Mariner Moose portrayer was not punished for the incident.[9][10]

Portrayers

The Mariner Moose was originally portrayed by Tiger Budbill, who continued to do so until the 1994 season ended with the players' strike. He subsequently worked as a singer and waiter at a restaurant in the nearby city of Kirkland, and he would go on to compete in season one of the U.S. version of The X Factor as a resident of the city of Bothell. However, he temporarily resumed the role after the ATV incident in 1995, holding it until the start of the 1996 season.[5][11][12]

Brett Rhinehardt took over the portrayal of the Mariner Moose at the beginning of the 1995 season; after sustaining the ankle injury in the ATV crash that season, he attempted to quickly resume his duty by fashioning an old Mariner Moose costume with a cutout for his cast despite the team encouraging him not to rush his recovery. He held the role until the conclusion of the 1998 season, after which he assumed the portrayal of Gnash, the mascot of the then-new Nashville Predators of the National Hockey League.[5]

See also

References
  1. "Morning briefing". Eugene Register-Guard. February 20, 1990. Retrieved January 18, 2010.
  2. Rasbach, David (January 17, 2017). "Long before Mariners Caravan visit, Seattle's mascot had ties to Whatcom County". The Bellingham Herald. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  3. Sherwin, Bob (April 13, 1990). "Make Way For The Mariner Moose -- From One Famous Moose To Another. .. Welcome To The Show". The Seattle Times. seattletimes.nwsource.com. Retrieved January 19, 2010.
  4. Tinkham, Harley (May 5, 1990). "Mariner Fans Believe Moose Deserves Noose". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  5. Brock, Corey (June 25, 2020). "'There's a wall coming at me': The untold story of Mariner Moose's crash". The Athletic. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  6. Achenbach, Joel (May 20, 1996). "Ken Griffey Jr. & The Swing Vote". The Washington Post. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  7. Pittman, Travis (July 21, 2016). "Remember when Ken Griffey Jr. ran for president?". KING 5. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  8. Lee, Amber (December 3, 2013). "Strangest Mascot Injuries". Bleacher Report. Turner Broadcasting System. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  9. "Mariner Moose avoids penalty for clipping Crisp". ESPN.com. August 7, 2007. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  10. Kelley, Steve (August 6, 2007). "Red Sox aren't amused by Mariner Moose mishap". The Seattle Times. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  11. Nystrom, Andy (October 19, 2011). "Tiger Budbill: Bothell singer's X Factor run ends". Bothell-Kenmore Reporter. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  12. O'Connell, Jack (October 9, 1995). "Side Lines". Hartford Courant. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
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