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65-774: From 1998 to 2006, the Surf played in the South Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball . While in the Atlantic League, the Surf won the first-ever Atlantic League championship in 1998 while also hosting the inaugural Atlantic League All-Star game. On March 30, 2009, the Atlantic City Surf organization ceased operations, leaving the Can-Am League with six teams. Players from

130-798: A costumed character , and often appear at team matches and other related events. Since the mid-20th century, costumed characters have provided teams with an opportunity to choose a fantasy creature as their mascot, as is the case with the Philadelphia Phillies ' mascot: Phillie Phanatic , the Philadelphia Flyers ' mascot: Gritty , the Seattle Kraken mascot: Buoy , and the Washington Commanders ' mascot: Major Tuddy . Costumed mascots are commonplace, and are regularly used as goodwill ambassadors in

195-544: A 3–2 loss to the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs . In March 2019, the Atlantic League and Major League Baseball reached agreement to test multiple rule changes during the 2019 Atlantic League season: In April 2019, implementation of two of the changes was delayed: The tracking system for calling balls and strikes was introduced at the league's all-star game on July 10. In addition to rule changes noted above, additional changes being implemented for

260-554: A band mascot is Eddie of the English heavy metal band Iron Maiden . Eddie is a zombie -like creature which is personified in different forms on all of the band's albums, most of its singles and some of its promotional merchandise. Eddie is also known to make live appearances, especially during the song "Iron Maiden". Another notable example of a mascot in music is Skeleton Sam of The Grateful Dead . South Korean hip hop band B.A.P uses rabbits named Matoki as their mascot, each bunny

325-422: A different color representing each member. Although rabbits have an innocent image, BAP gives off a tough image. Hip hop artist Kanye West used to use a teddy bear named Dropout Bear as his mascot; Dropout Bear has appeared on the cover of West's first three studio albums, and served as the main character of West's music video, " Good Morning ". The question of whether a "hype-man" can legitimately be considered

390-399: A group with a common public identity, such as a school , sports team , society , military unit , or brand name . Mascots are also used as fictional, representative spokespeople for consumer products. In sports, mascots are also used for merchandising. Team mascots are often related to their respective team nicknames . This is especially true when the team's nickname is something that is

455-530: A hip-hop organization's mascot is currently an active subject of debate within academic Hip-Hop circles. However, local polling in relevant regions suggests acceptance of the "hype-man" as a legitimate organizational mascot. Some television series have mascots, like the Cleatus the Robot animated cartoon figure on the U.S. sports television show Fox NFL Sunday . Another example of a cartoon mascot on television

520-522: A living animal and/or can be made to have humanlike characteristics . For more abstract nicknames, the team may opt to have an unrelated character serve as the mascot. For example, the athletic teams of the University of Alabama are nicknamed the Crimson Tide , while their mascot is an elephant named Big Al . Team mascots may take the form of a logo , person, live animal, inanimate object, or

585-419: A lock of hair or a figurehead on a sailing ship. From then to the twentieth century, the term has been used in reference to any good luck animals, objects etc., and more recently including human caricatures and fictional creatures created as logos for sports teams . Often, the choice of the mascot reflects the desired quality; a typical example of this is the "fighting spirit," in which a competitive nature

650-520: A necessity amongst not only the sporting industry but for other organisations. The word 'mascot' originates from the French term 'mascotte' which means lucky charm . This was used to describe anything that brought luck to a household. The word was first recorded in 1867 and popularised by a French composer Edmond Audran who wrote the opera La mascotte , performed in December 1880. The word entered

715-857: A new 4-team independent league in Texas, with all 60 games played at Constellation Field , and the Somerset Patriots, who played weekend games with a second squad called the New Jersey Blasters. In July 2020, the league announced the addition of a new franchise in Gastonia, North Carolina beginning in 2021; it is the league's second team based in North Carolina. In November 2020, the Atlantic League lost its last charter franchise and its westernmost franchise when both teams became official minor league affiliates. On November 7,

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780-457: A pair of ferrets . The Norwegian Royal Guard adopted a king penguin named Nils Olav as its mascot on the occasion of a visit to Edinburgh by its regimental band. The (very large) penguin remains resident at Edinburgh Zoo and has been formally promoted by one rank on the occasion of each subsequent visit to Britain by the band or other detachments of the Guard. Regimental Sergeant Major Olav

845-611: A venue for professional sports teams and baseball has been no exception. The city hosted a few short-lived, unnamed teams in various leagues in the 19th century, then provided a home for the defunct Lancaster Red Roses of the Tri-State League in 1912. The franchise played one more season in Atlantic City in 1913 before disbanding. In 1916, the Bacharach Giants moved to Atlantic City. Originally known as

910-487: A version that was a person wearing a costume. In the United Kingdom , some teams have young fans become "mascots". These representatives sometimes have medical issues, and the appearance is a wish grant, the winner of a contest, or under other circumstances. Mascots also include older people such as Mr England , who are invited by national sports associations to be mascots for the representative teams. One of

975-546: Is personified by warriors or predatory animals. Mascots may also symbolize a local or regional trait, such as the Nebraska Cornhuskers ' mascot, Herbie Husker : a stylized version of a farmer, owing to the agricultural traditions of the area in which the university is located. Similarly, Pittsburg State University uses Gus the Gorilla as its mascot, "gorilla" being an old colloquial term for coal miners in

1040-585: Is Tommy Trojan who rides on his horse (and the official mascot of the school) Traveler. Many sports teams in the United States have official mascots, sometimes enacted by costumed humans or even live animals. One of the earliest was a taxidermy mount for the Chicago Cubs , in 1908, and later a live animal used in 1916 by the same team. They abandoned the concept shortly thereafter and remained without an official "cub" until 2014, when they introduced

1105-614: Is a professional independent baseball league based in the United States. It is an official MLB Partner League based in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern United States . The Atlantic League's corporate headquarters is located at Clipper Magazine Stadium in Lancaster, Pennsylvania . The Atlantic League operates in cities not served by Major League Baseball (MLB) or Minor League Baseball (MiLB) teams; most of its teams are within suburbs and exurbs too close to other teams in

1170-625: Is also used to refer to mascots created by businesses to promote their products. Camilla Corona SDO is the mission mascot for NASA 's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) and assists the mission with Education and Public Outreach (EPO). Mascots are also popular in military units. For example, the United States Marine Corps uses the English Bulldog as its mascot, while the United States Army uses

1235-422: Is generally regarded as the most successful and highest level of baseball among independent leagues. The Atlantic League has had more marquee players than any other independent league, including Jose Canseco , Mat Latos , Steve Lombardozzi Jr. , Francisco Rodríguez , Chien-Ming Wang , Roger Clemens , Rich Hill , Scott Kazmir , Juan González , and Dontrelle Willis . Two former Atlantic League players are in

1300-786: Is not allowed. For example, many corporate mascots can attend non-profit events, or sports and promote their brand while entertaining the crowd. Some mascots are simply cartoons or virtual mascots, others are characters in commercials, and others are actually created as costumes and will appear in person in front of the public at tradeshows or events. American high schools, colleges, and even middle and elementary schools typically have mascots. Many college and university mascots started out as live animals, such as bulldogs and bears that attended sporting events. Today, mascots are usually represented by animated characters, campus sculptures, and costumed students who attend sporting events, alumni gatherings, and other campus events. The mascots that are used for

1365-594: The American Association and Frontier League . In 1998, the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball played its inaugural season, with teams in Bridgewater , Newark , and Atlantic City, New Jersey ; Nashua, New Hampshire ; Newburgh, New York ; and Bridgeport, Connecticut . The creation of the league was the result of the New York Mets ' objection to Frank Boulton 's proposal to move

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1430-658: The American Negro League in 1929, and continued in the Negro National League in 1932, when it folded as a professional team. In 1998, the independent Atlantic League of Professional Baseball placed a team in Atlantic City called the Surf. Opening their new ballpark called The Sandcastle on May 20, the Surf was defeated by the Somerset Patriots by a score of 8-5. Playing host to the first Atlantic League All-Star game on July 15,

1495-868: The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders have a Shetland pony as their mascot, a ram for The Mercian Regiment; an Irish Wolfhound for the Irish Guards and the Royal Irish Regiment ; a drum horse for the Queen's Royal Hussars and the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards; an antelope for the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers ; and a goat for the Royal Welsh . Other British military mascots include a Staffordshire Bull Terrier and

1560-551: The COVID-19 pandemic , the league announced that it would be unable to operate for the 2020 season with the current 8 member ballclubs, thereby canceling its season. Several teams (Somerset, York, and Lancaster) did not gain necessary approval from governmental and health officials to open their ballparks to the capacity level necessary for competition. They used their stadiums to host recreational and community-based events, as well as local baseball activities where allowed. Meanwhile,

1625-511: The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum , Tim Raines and Rickey Henderson . Gary Carter , another Hall of Famer, managed in the league. The Atlantic League has had many notable managers and coaches, including Wally Backman , Frank Viola , Tommy John , Sparky Lyle , and Bud Harrelson . The Atlantic League has consistently posted higher per game and per season attendance numbers than other independent circuits including

1690-820: The Pacific Coast League . On February 18, 2021, the league announced the addition of the Lexington Legends , previously the Class A South Atlantic League affiliate of the Kansas City Royals , for the 2021 season. The Charleston Dirty Birds , formerly the West Virginia Power of the South Atlantic League, announced their move to the league on February 24, 2021. On September 1, 2021, the league announced

1755-946: The Somerset Patriots announced that they were leaving the league to join the MLB-affiliated Eastern League , where they will replace the Trenton Thunder as the Double-A affiliate of the New York Yankees . Approximately two weeks later, the Houston Astros announced that they had purchased a controlling stake in the Sugar Land Skeeters and, as a result, the Skeeters would become the Astros' Triple-A affiliate and join

1820-651: The community for their team, company , or organization . It was sports organizations that initially first thought of using animals as a form of mascot to bring entertainment and excitement for their spectators. Before mascots were fictional icons or people in suits, animals were mostly used in order to bring a somewhat different feel to the game and to strike fear upon the rivalry teams. As time went on, mascots evolved from predatory animals, to two-dimensional fantasy mascots, to finally what we know today, three-dimensional mascots. Stylistic changes in American puppetry in

1885-734: The mule , the United States Navy uses the goat , and the United States Air Force uses the Gyrfalcon . The goat in the Royal Welsh is officially not a mascot but a ranking soldier. Lance Corporal William Windsor retired on 20 May 2009, and his replacement "William Windsor II" was captured and formally recruited on June 15 that same year. Several regiments of the British Army have a live animal mascot which appear on parades . The Parachute Regiment and

1950-401: The 2023 season: In April 2023, it was announced that the Atlantic League would be testing three rules for the 2023 season: League members Moved to another league The ALPB Championship Series is played as a best-of-five. Numbers in parentheses denote the number of championships won by a team to that point, when more than one. † Freedom Division won the 2019 game in a "homer-off" after

2015-604: The 2024 season due to the league now having an odd number of teams with the addition of the Hagerstown franchise. The team was set to return for the 2025 season; however, the Ghost Hounds were not listed on the 2025 season schedule. On November 22, 2023, the Atlantic League terminated the membership of the Gastonia Honey Hunters , citing significant unpaid debts to the league. Rick White, president of

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2080-577: The Atlantic League, confirmed that the Honey Hunters were terminated, but said that the Atlantic League intended to field a team in Gastonia in 2024. In February 2024, the league named Zawyer Sports & Entertainment as the new owners for the 2024 season with the team name, Gastonia Ghost Peppers , announced in October 2024. The Gastonia Ghost Peppers played their first game on April 25, 2024,

2145-658: The Bluefish go inactive for the 2018 season. In 2015, the Atlantic League experienced a watershed moment for independent baseball when it signed a formal agreement with Major League Baseball which put into writing the rules which the ALPB would follow in selling its players' contracts to MLB clubs and their affiliates. This marked the first time that MLB, which has enjoyed a U.S. Supreme Court -granted antitrust exemption since 1922, had made any formal agreement with or acknowledgment of an independent baseball league. In 2020, due to

2210-582: The Can-Am. The team managed by Chris Carminucci finished with the 2nd best overall record of 51-41. In the playoffs lost to the North Shore Spirit 3 games to 1 in the opening round. The Surf received many awards in 2007. Carminucci received manager of the year. Starting pitcher Brian Rodaway received Pitcher of the Year Award after finishing a league-best 15-3. Relief pitcher Matt Pike received

2275-789: The Duval Giants of Jacksonville, Florida , its name was changed to the Bacharach Giants in honor of the city's mayor, Harry Bacharach . The team was independent from 1916 to 1922, then became a member of the Eastern Colored League from 1923 until the league's folding during the 1928 season, winning the league in 1926 and 1927 under the leadership of Dick Lundy . Other notable players for the Giants included Oliver Marcelle , Smokey Joe Williams , "Pop" Lloyd , and Arthur "Rats" Henderson. The team became affiliated with

2340-485: The English language in 1881 with the meaning of a specific living entity associated with a human organization as a symbol or live logo. However, before this, the terms were familiar to the people of France as a slang word used by gamblers. The term is a derivative of the word 'masco' meaning sorceress or witch. Before the 19th century, the word 'mascot' was associated with inanimate objects that would be commonly seen such as

2405-577: The Long Island Ducks, High Point Rockers, and Southern Maryland Blue Crabs initially attempted to partner with teams from other leagues in order to play a 70-game season from mid-July through the end of September. However, due to ongoing restrictions and capacity limitations, they ultimately decided to suspend all baseball activities for the 2020 season. The only teams that played in 2020 was the Sugar Land Skeeters, who would create

2470-541: The Olympic and Paralympic games to each have their own mascots, which are presented together. For example, the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo is represented by Miraitowa , while the 2020 Summer Paralympics are represented by Someity , and the two often appear together in promotional materials. In Japan , many municipalities have mascots, which are known as Yuru-chara ( Japanese : ゆるキャラ Hepburn : yuru kyara). Yuru-chara

2535-583: The Reliever of the Year award for his league leading 24 saves. In 2008 the Surf hired Cecil Fielder as the team manager. The Surf continued their success finishing 51-43 (4th overall record) and once again in the playoffs, this time losing to the Quebec Capitales 3 games to 1 in the opening round. On March 30, 2009, the Can-Am League announced the Surf would not be operating in the 2009 season due to

2600-471: The Southeast Kansas area in which the university was established. In the United States, controversy surrounds some mascot choices, especially those using human likenesses. Mascots based on Native American tribes are particularly contentious , as many argue that they constitute offensive exploitations of an oppressed culture. However, several Indian tribes have come out in support of keeping

2665-591: The Summer and Winter Olympic games are fictional characters, typically a human figure or an animal native to the country to which is holding that year's Olympic Games. The mascots are used to entice an audience and bring joy and excitement to the Olympics festivities. Likewise, many World expositions since 1984 have had mascots representing their host city in some way, starting with the 1984 Louisiana World Exposition 's mascot Seymore D. Fair . Since 1968, nearly all of

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2730-558: The Surf defeated the League All-Stars 6-4 and would later win the league's first Championship Series over the Bridgeport Bluefish , three games to one. The Surf made it to the post-season four times in five years (2002 and 2004–06) but were eliminated in the first round each time. In 2007, the Surf moved from the Atlantic League to the Can-Am League. In 2007 the Surf made the playoffs in their inaugural season in

2795-531: The addition of a new Hagerstown, Maryland franchise with the intent to begin play in 2023 pending ballpark construction. In 2022 it was announced that the team wouldn't begin play until 2024 due to construction delays. In 2022, Kelsie Whitmore signed with the Staten Island FerryHawks of the Atlantic League, and started a game for them in left field; this made her the first woman to start an Atlantic League game. Later that year she became

2860-525: The cities that have hosted the Summer or Winter Olympic Games have designed and promoted a mascot that relates to the culture of the host country the overall "brand" of that year's Games. Recent Winter/Summer Olympic games mascots include Miga, Quatchi, Mukmuk ( Vancouver, 2010 ), Wenlock and Mandeville ( London, 2012 ), Bely Mishka, Snow Leopard, Zaika ( Sochi, 2014 ) and Vinicius and Tom ( Rio, 2016 ) have all gone on to become iconic symbols in their respective countries. Since 2010, it has been common for

2925-418: The city and announced plans to convert The Ballpark at Harbor Yard into a music amphitheater; the Bridgeport Bluefish announced plans to relocate to High Point, North Carolina in 2019 when the construction of a new multipurpose facility in High Point is completed. League officials announced the return of the Pennsylvania Road Warriors , an all road game team, to keep the league at an even eight teams while

2990-422: The collapse of the proposed sale of the team and lack of ownership to continue for the 2009 season. The Surf joined fellow league member Ottawa Voyageurs in ceasing operations for the 2009 season. Atlantic League Post-Season Results: Can-Am League Post-Season Results: Uniform colors: White with navy pinstripes for home games and navy for away games. The home jersey has an interlocking "AC" centered on

3055-442: The corporate world. Recognizable mascots include Chester Cheetah , Keebler Elf, the Fruit of the Loom Guys, Mickey Mouse, Pizza Pizza Guy for Little Caesars, Rocky the Elf, Pepsiman and the NBC Peacock . These characters are typically known without even having to refer to the company or brand. This is an example of corporate branding , and soft selling a company. Mascots are able to act as brand ambassadors where advertising

3120-419: The earliest was Ken Baily , whose John Bull -inspired appearance was a regular at England matches from 1963 to 1990. On October 28, 1989, University of Miami mascot Sebastian the Ibis was tackled by a group of police officers for attempting to put out Chief Osceola's flaming spear prior to Miami 's game against long-standing rival Florida State at Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee . Sebastian

3185-460: The first woman to pitch in an Atlantic League game when she made her first pitching appearance for Staten Island; entering the game with the bases loaded and two outs , she retired Ryan Jackson , a former major leaguer, on a fly out to end the inning. On July 20, 2023, the Hagerstown team announced that they would be named the Hagerstown Flying Boxcars . In September 2023 it was announced that Spire City Ghost Hounds would be on hiatus during

3250-526: The former Albany-Colonie Yankees because of its territorial rights to the region. Boulton, a Long Island, New York native, decided to create a new league that would have a higher salary cap for its players and a longer season than most of the other independent baseball organizations. He modeled the Atlantic League after the older Pacific Coast League , with facilities that exceed AAA-level standards. Boulton also emphasized signing players of Major League Baseball experience for all Atlantic League teams, raising

3315-464: The left and number on the back. The away jersey has the wordmark "Surf" in teal with white and purple outline. Navy blue hats with the interlocking letters "AC" in white with teal outline. Mascot : "Splash". Radio broadcasts: Play-by-Play announcer: Matt Martucci , broadcast by WLFR . TV Broadcast of Atlantic City Surf Game June 1999 Atlantic League of Professional Baseball The Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (ALPB)

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3380-422: The level of play above other independent leagues. In 2010, the league announced that it would be expanding to Sugar Land, Texas and adding its first franchise not located in an Atlantic coast state. The Sugar Land Skeeters began play in 2012. In 2010, amid financial struggles, the Newark Bears moved from the Atlantic League to the Can-Am League , leaving the Bridgeport Bluefish and Somerset Patriots as

3445-445: The mid-20th century, including the work of Jim Henson and Sid and Marty Krofft , soon were adapted to sports mascots. It allowed people to not only have visual enjoyment but also interact physically with the mascots. Marketers quickly realized the great potential in three-dimensional mascots and took on board the costumed puppet idea. This change encouraged other companies to start creating their own mascots, resulting in mascots being

3510-504: The names. For example, the Utah Utes and the Central Michigan Chippewas are sanctioned by local tribes, and the Florida State Seminoles are supported by the Seminole Tribe of Florida in their use of Osceola and Renegade as symbols. FSU chooses not to refer to them as mascots because of the offensive connotation. This has not, however, prevented fans from engaging in " Redface "—dressing up in stereotypical, Plains Indian outfits during games, or creating offensive banners saying "Scalp 'em" as

3575-430: The only teams remaining from the league's inaugural season. In the summer of 2013, then-ALPB President Frank Boulton announced that he would be resigning so that he could devote more time to operating the Long Island Ducks . He was replaced by longtime high-ranking Major League Baseball executive Rick White. On July 8, 2015, the Atlantic League began using Rawlings baseballs with red and blue seams, virtually unused in

3640-407: The organized baseball system to have minor league franchises of their own. The Atlantic League requires cities to have the market for a 4,000 to 7,500-seat ballpark and for the facility to be maintained at or above Triple-A standards. When Atlantic League professionals are signed by MLB clubs, they usually start in their Double-A or Triple-A affiliates. The league uses a pitch clock and limits

3705-447: The owner of Campbell's Field, the Camden County Improvement Authority. The team was replaced by the New Britain Bees for the 2016 season. On May 29, 2016, Jennie Finch was the guest manager for the league's Bridgeport Bluefish, thus becoming the first woman to manage a professional baseball team. Shortly before the conclusion of the 2017 season, the city of Bridgeport, Connecticut voted to not continue with professional baseball in

3770-427: The second half of the league's 2019 season are: The Atlantic League and MLB jointly announced that the former would adopt several additional experimental rules for the 2021 season: In January 2022, the Atlantic League announced they would no longer be using the following rules for the 2022 season: In March 2022, the MLB announced modifications to the "double-hook" rule and reintroduced the "dropped pitch" rule for

3835-424: The sport since the American League swapped the blue in their seams for red in 1934. On September 1, 2015, the Atlantic League announced conditional approval for an expansion team or a relocated team to play in New Britain, Connecticut for the 2016 season. On October 21, 2015, the Camden Riversharks announced they would cease operations immediately due to the inability to reach an agreement on lease terms with

3900-577: The team were made available in an April 3, 2009 dispersal draft. On May 17, 2018, Atlantic City's City Council authorized Frank Boulton , the former owner of the Atlantic City Surf (Independent Professional, Can-Am League/Atlantic League) to find an ownership group willing to bring minor league baseball back to Surf Stadium. The team was to compete in the 2019 season — however success quickly became "unlikely" and there currently are no indications that professional baseball will return to Atlantic City. Atlantic City historically has never enjoyed much success as

3965-478: The teams were tied at the end of nine innings. Some Atlantic League players have come from, or advanced to, the higher ranks of Major League Baseball . Some have resurrected their careers and returned to the majors, while others played in the independent league during the start or end of their careers. The following is a list of some of those players: Mascot A mascot is any human, animal, or object thought to bring luck , or anything used to represent

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4030-507: The time between innings in an effort to speed up the game. In 2019, the Atlantic League began a three-year partnership with Major League Baseball allowing MLB to implement changes to Atlantic League playing rules, in order to observe the effects of potential future rule changes and equipment. In 2020, the Atlantic League, together with the American Association , the Frontier League , and the Pioneer League , expanded this agreement to become an official MLB Partner League. The Atlantic League

4095-500: Was awarded the Norwegian Army's Long Service and Good Conduct medal at a ceremony in 2005. The U.S. Forest Service uses mascot Smokey Bear to raise awareness and educate the public about the dangers of unplanned human-caused wildfires . Some bands, particularly in the heavy metal genre, use band mascots to promote their music. The mascots are usually found on album covers or merchandise such as band T-shirts, but can also make appearances in live shows or music videos. One example of

4160-400: Was seen at the 2014 Rose Bowl. Some sports teams have "unofficial" mascots: individual supporters or fans that have become identified with the team. The New York Yankees have such an individual in fan Freddy Sez . Former Toronto Blue Jays mascot BJ Birdie was a costumed character created by a Blue Jays fan, ultimately hired by the team to perform at their home games. USC Trojans mascot

4225-484: Was wearing a fireman’s helmet and yellow raincoat and holding a fire extinguisher. When a police officer attempted to grab the fire extinguisher, the officer was sprayed in the chest. Sebastian was handcuffed by four officers but ultimately released. University of Miami quarterback Gino Torretta told ESPN , "Even if we weren't bad boys, it added to the mystique that, 'Man, look, even their mascot's getting arrested.'" Mascots or advertising characters are very common in

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