Mascot race

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The Milwaukee Brewers' racing sausages Sausage Racers.jpg
The Milwaukee Brewers' racing sausages

A mascot race is a promotional sports entertainment or charity competition consisting of costumed runners racing around a baseball field or race course, usually as a form of between-innings entertainment. The racers are typically anthropomorphized inanimate objects or mascots related to local culture, a sponsor's products, or sport culture. The outcomes of races can both be decided in a legitimate race or may be predetermined for purely entertainment purposes. [1]

Contents

The world's largest ever mascot race was the Sue Ryder Mascot Gold Cup held at Wetherby Racecourse in West Yorkshire, United Kingdom, on April 26, 2015. The race featured 131 mascots with 125 of them completing the 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) distance and becoming the new Guinness World Record for most mascots in a race. [2] The winning mascot was the Red Marauder entered by the Ingmanthorpe Racing Stables and helped to victory by Scottish international footballer Gary McAllister. [3]

Races

Major League Baseball

The Washington Nationals' racing presidents Presidents Racing.jpg
The Washington Nationals' racing presidents
The Cleveland Guardians' racing hot dogs Cleveland Indians Hot Dog Race.jpg
The Cleveland Guardians' racing hot dogs

The best-known[ citation needed ] of this type of race is the Milwaukee Brewers' Sausage Race. Introduced in the early 1990s, [4] the race features bratwurst, Polish sausage, Italian sausage, hot dog, and chorizo characters. The race takes place before the sixth inning of every home game. Players have also been involved; during a 2003 race during a Brewers–Pittsburgh Pirates game, Pirates slugger Randall Simon hit one of the sausages with a baseball bat, causing the woman in the costume to require medical care. Milwaukee police fined Simon.

The Sausage Race inspired the creation of the Great Pierogi Race in Pittsburgh. A rivalry has developed between the Sausages and the Pierogies, and the two groups compete twice yearly in relay races. Another well-known[ citation needed ] mascot race is the Presidents Race of the Washington Nationals. George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt, mascots compete. A William Howard Taft mascot also raced from 2013 to 2016, as did a Calvin Coolidge mascot in 2015 and a Herbert Hoover mascot in 2016; as of 2017, the Taft, Coolidge, and Hoover mascots had "retired to Florida" to race only in Nationals spring training games. As a running joke, Teddy Roosevelt did not win from the beginning of the Presidents Race in 2006 until the Nationals made the playoffs for the first time in 2012. [5] Like the Milwaukee Sausages, the Presidents also had a rivalry with the Pierogies.

Other teams have their own versions. The Tampa Bay Rays have a race sponsored by PepsiCo, the owners of the naming rights to Tropicana Field. Their race is between large bottles of Pepsi, Pepsi Max, Aquafina, and Sierra Mist. Before 2007, these were computer-generated. As of 2010, the race is only computer-generated for certain games.

The Cleveland Guardians and the Kansas City Royals have similar races involving hot dogs. The Royals' version features live runners dressed as Heinz condiments – ketchup, relish and mustard. The live racers made their first appearance during the 2007 season, with the race being limited to the video board prior to this. The Guardians also started a live hot dog race in 2007 with the racers being mustard, onion, and ketchup (who wears thick glasses as a nod to Charlie Sheen's "Wild Thing" character from the movie Major League ). In late 2007 the ketchup racer started cutting the corner at home plate to win the race, and this "cheating" has led to several stage skits by players, mascots, and the ground crew to slow or trip him up during the race.[ citation needed ]

The New York Mets race cardboard automobiles. As of May 29, 2016, they include an anthropomorphized police car, fire truck, yellow cab and black limo. As of May 29, 2016, Freddie the Firetruck leads the 2016 series with 9 wins, including the two most recent Sunday races.

Texas Rangers games feature a live action version of the "Dot Race", in which three dots (Red, Green, and Blue) compete in the middle of the sixth inning. Each fan is given a coupon for Ozarka bottled water (the race sponsor) that has one of the three colors. A coupon with the "winning color" can be taken to a Texas store to purchase Ozarka (in actuality, the coupons do not feature the date they were presented, thus any coupon can be redeemed at any time prior to their expiration date). The "dots" were later joined by three action figures, all resembling figures in Texas history (Davy Crockett with his long rifle, Jim Bowie with his Bowie knife, and Sam Houston).

The Atlanta Braves race involves (Atlanta-based) Home Depot's hammer, saw (later replaced by a bucket after suffering a serious injury), paint brush, and power drill racing against each other. Before the 2009 season, the race was seen only on the scoreboard, but it now features live runners dressed in costumed versions of these tools; the race takes place on the warning track and starts in right field and ends in front of the scoreboard.

In 2009 the San Francisco Giants featured periodically a bobble head race with likenesses of announcers Duane Kuiper and Mike Krukow, but they only occasionally raced in 2009.

The Arizona Diamondbacks dress three children up in hot dog suits – one representing ketchup, one representing mustard and one representing relish. The three kids run in place in front of the Diamondbacks' dugout while the scoreboard shows a race between the three hot dogs. The winner receives a prize for their victory.

The Houston Astros' race involves Taco Bell hot sauce packets named Fire, Hot, and Mild that race from the right field corner around the outfield and up to the visitors' dugout. This race started in 2010, but starting in the 2015 season the Astros introduced their new race, the Space Race, featuring three dressed in astronauts costume; they are Apollo, Squeeze, and Doc Rocket. Also in 2010, the Arizona Diamondbacks added a "Legends Race [6] " with 10-foot (3.0 m) likenesses of Randy Johnson, Mark Grace, Luis Gonzalez and Matt Williams. The race debuted on July 2. [7] The Diamondbacks previously had a race between live runners dressed as menu items from fast-food chain and sponsor Taco Bell, including a giant cup of Pepsi. The Mark Grace figure finally won his first race August 8, 2015, on the day Randy Johnson's number was retired; Johnson let him pass him for the win. Mark Grace won another race on October 3, leading the race from beginning to end.[ citation needed ]

In 2012, the Minnesota Twins introduced “The Race at Target Field” mascot race—an evolution of their "Race to Target Field" animated video race which began in 2009 for the inaugural season of Target Field. The race features five Minnesota-inspired characters: Louie the loon, Wanda the walleye, Babe the blue ox, Skeeta the mosquito and Bullseye the dog (mascot of hometown company and sponsor, Target Corporation).

Also in 2012, the Miami Marlins added the Great Sea race featuring Bob the Shark, Julio the Octopus, Angel the Stone Crab and Spike the Sea Dragon. [8]

On August 3, 2013, the Oakland Athletics held the first Hall of Famer Big Head race, featuring mascot versions of Rickey Henderson, Rollie Fingers, and Dennis Eckersley. [9] As of 2019, it is still being run at home games.

To start the 2014 MLB season, the Detroit Tigers introduced some new automobile mascots to pay homage to the city's automotive history. They started with three mascots, "Bella Air" (a 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air), "Corey Vette" (a 1956 Chevrolet Corvette), and "Petey Pickup" (a 1950's Chevrolet Task Force pickup truck). Due to their success, those mascots were joined to start the 2015 season by "Cam Aro" (a 1966 Chevrolet Camaro) and "Shelley Chevelle" (a 1964 Chevrolet Chevelle). These promotional mascots race near the middle of ballgames at Comerica Park. [10]

For the 2019 MLB London Series in June 2019, organizers held a fan vote to select four costumed entrants for a mascot race; chosen were: Winston Churchill, Freddie Mercury, King Henry VIII and the Loch Ness Monster. [11]

Since 2020, those races are run virtually.

Minor League Baseball

The Nashville Sounds' racing country music legends Country Legends Race 8-19-2018.jpg
The Nashville Sounds' racing country music legends

Other

The Mascot Gold Cup, originally known as the Mascot Steeplechase, was devised by The Yorkshire Federation of Young Farmers Clubs in 2006 and is held at Wetherby Racecourse, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom. [3]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hot dog</span> Sausage in a bun

A hot dog is a food consisting of a grilled or steamed sausage served in the slit of a partially sliced bun. The term hot dog can refer to the sausage itself. The sausage used is a wiener or a frankfurter. The names of these sausages commonly refer to their assembled dish. Hot dog preparation and condiments vary worldwide. Typical condiments include mustard, ketchup, relish, onions in tomato sauce, and cheese sauce. Other toppings include sauerkraut, diced onions, jalapeños, chili, grated cheese, coleslaw, bacon, and olives. Hot dog variants include the corn dog and pigs in a blanket. The hot dog's cultural traditions include the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest and the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trenton Thunder</span> Minor league baseball team

The Trenton Thunder are a collegiate summer baseball team of the MLB Draft League. They are located in Trenton, New Jersey, and play their home games at Trenton Thunder Ballpark.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buffalo Bisons</span> Minor League Baseball (AAA) team in Buffalo, New York

The Buffalo Bisons are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. Located in Buffalo, New York, the team plays their home games at Sahlen Field, the highest-capacity Triple-A ballpark in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pork roll</span> Processed pork common in New Jersey

Pork roll is a processed meat commonly available in New Jersey and neighboring states. It was developed in 1856 by John Taylor of Trenton, and sold as "Taylor's Prepared Ham" until 1906. Though since then food labeling regulations require Taylor and all other manufacturers to label it "pork roll", people in northern New Jersey still call it "Taylor ham". The "Is it pork roll or Taylor ham?" question is a notable element of New Jersey culture, and the division over what name one uses divides the state along roughly north–south geographic lines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chili dog</span> Hot dog with chili

A chili dog is a hot dog served in a bun and topped with a meat sauce, such as chili con carne. Additional toppings may include cheese, onions, and mustard. The style has multiple regional variations in the United States, many calling for specific and unique sauce ingredients, types of hot dogs, or types of buns and referred to regionally under region-specific names.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sausage Race</span> Mascot race at Milwaukee Brewers baseball games

The Sausage Race is a race of sausage mascots held before the bottom of the sixth inning at every home game of the Milwaukee Brewers. The Sausage Race began as a promotion for the Klement's Sausage Company, located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, whose sausages were served at American Family Field, the home of the Brewers. In 2021, Johnsonville sausages began being served at American Family Field and today are officially known as the Famous Racing Sausages.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chicago-style hot dog</span> Beef frankfurter in a poppy seed bun

A Chicago-style hot dog, Chicago Dog, or Chicago Red Hot is an all-beef frankfurter on a poppy seed bun, originating from the city of Chicago, Illinois. The hot dog is topped with yellow mustard, chopped white onions, bright green sweet pickle relish, a dill pickle spear, tomato slices or wedges, pickled sport peppers, and a dash of celery salt. The complete assembly of a Chicago hot dog is said to be "dragged through the garden" due to the many toppings. The method for cooking the hot dog itself varies depending on the vendor's preference. Most often they are steamed, water-simmered, or less often grilled over charcoal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dodger Dog</span> Hot dog served by the Los Angeles Dodgers

The Dodger Dog is a hot dog named after the Major League Baseball franchise that sells them. It is a 10-inch pork wiener wrapped in a steamed bun. The hot dog is sold at Dodger Stadium located in Los Angeles, California. According to the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council, the projected number of 2011 season hot dogs sold at Dodger Stadium was 2 million—establishing Dodger Dogs as the leader in hot dog sales of all those sold in Major League Baseball ballparks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Great Pierogy Race</span>

The Great Pittsburgh Pierogy Race N'at, commonly called the Great Pierogy Race, is an American mascot race between innings during a Pittsburgh Pirates baseball game that features seven contestants racing in giant pierogi costumes: Potato Pete, Jalapeño Hannah, Cheese Chester, Sauerkraut Saul, the highly intelligent Oliver Onion, Bacon Burt, and Pizza Penny. However, in 2021 Pizza Penny and Potato Pete eloped and moved to Naples, Italy leaving only five Pierogis to race.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hot dog variations</span> Ways to serve the "hot dog" style of sausage from around the world

Different areas of the world have local variations on the hot dog, in the type of meat used, the condiments added, and its means of preparation.

<i>Rød pølse</i> Type of red sausage common in Denmark

Rød pølse is a type of brightly red, boiled pork sausage very common in Denmark. Since hot dog stands are ubiquitous in Denmark, some people regard røde pølser as one of the national dishes. They are made of the Vienna type and the skin is colored with a traditional red dye (carmine).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A&W (Canada)</span> Canadian fast food restaurant chain

A&W is a fast food restaurant chain in Canada, franchised by A&W Food Services of Canada, Inc. The chain was originally part of the U.S.-based A&W Restaurants chain; locations in Canada were sold to Unilever in 1972, and then bought by its management in 1995. A&W restaurants in Canada no longer have any corporate connection to A&W operations outside of Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Presidents Race</span>

The Presidents Race is a promotional event held at every Washington Nationals home game at Nationals Park, and previously at RFK Stadium, in the middle of the fourth inning of every game. If a game goes to a fourth extra inning, a second race is held in the middle of that inning.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cuisine of New Jersey</span> Cusine of the State of New Jersey

The cuisine of New Jersey is derived from the state's long immigrant history and its close proximity to both New York City and Philadelphia. Due to its geographical location, New Jersey can generally be divided by New York City cuisine in the northern and central parts of the state and Philadelphia cuisine in the southern parts. Restaurants in the state often make use of locally grown ingredients such as asparagus, blueberries, cranberries, tomatoes, corn, and peaches. New Jersey is particularly known for its diners, of which there are approximately 525, the most of any state. Various foods invented in the state, such as the pork roll, and salt water taffy, remain popular there today.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carniolan sausage</span> Slovenian sausage

The Carniolan sausage is a Slovenian sausage similar to what is known as kielbasa or Polish sausage in North America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cuisine of Wisconsin</span> Food and drinks from Wisconsin

The cuisine of Wisconsin is a type of Midwestern cuisine found throughout the state of Wisconsin in the United States of America. Known as "America's Dairyland", Wisconsin is famous for its cheese as well as other dairy products, such as cheese curds and frozen custard. Other notable foods common to the region include bratwursts, beer and brandy Old Fashioned cocktails, butter burgers, fish fries and fish boils, cranberries, and booyah stew.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hank (dog)</span> Major League Baseball mascot

Hank, also known as Hank T. Dog, is an unofficial mascot of the Milwaukee Brewers of Major League Baseball. Believed to be a part-Bichon Frise mixed-breed of about two or three years of age, Hank was rescued by the Brewers when he wandered into their spring training facility before the start of the 2014 MLB season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Käsekrainer</span> Type of Austrian sausage

Käsekrainer is a type of lightly smoked Brühwurst containing roughly torn bits of pork and 10% to 20% cheese cut into small cubes. They are sold all over Austria at Würstelstand outlets. It is a variety of Carniolan sausage. Käsekrainer was invented by two people from Upper Austria, chef Herbert Schuch from Buchkirchen and Franz Thalhammer in the late 1960s.

References

Commons-logo.svg Media related to mascot races at Wikimedia Commons

  1. "Out at the plate: Pirates dump outspoken pierogi". post-gazette.com. Retrieved 23 August 2016.
  2. "Largest mascot race". Guinness World Records. Retrieved 2018-06-03.
  3. 1 2 "Mascot record tumbles at Wetherby races" . Retrieved 2018-06-03.
  4. "How it All Started". www.klements.com. Archived from the original on 2006-10-31.
  5. "Presidents Race Standings". letteddywin.com. April 7, 2016. Retrieved August 23, 2016.
  6. "Legends Race". mlb.com. Retrieved August 23, 2016.
  7. D-backs Reveal Johnson, Gonzalez as First Members of Legends Race, arizona.diamondbacks.mlb.com, June 22, 2010
  8. Sports, Fox. "MLB's racing mascots". foxsports.com. Retrieved August 23, 2016.
  9. "Off to the Races". baseballhall.org. Retrieved November 23, 2018.
  10. "Metro Detroit Chevy Dealers announce two new mascots in the line-up for Tigers game day mascot races at Comerica Park: Cam Aro and Shelley Chevelle join fan favorite 'Motor City Wheels Mascot Race'". MLB . April 1, 2015. Retrieved June 10, 2020.
  11. "We will race you: Mercury an MLB UK mascot". ESPN . June 28, 2019. Retrieved June 29, 2019.
  12. Hill, Benjamin (November 13, 2008). "At Home With the Isotopes". Minor League Baseball. Retrieved April 8, 2016.
  13. "Wing, Cheese, Celery Race". Minor League Baseball. Retrieved April 8, 2016.
  14. Gelber, Bradley (September 1, 2016). "Bisons 'Celery' to retire after 2017 season". WGRZ-TV. Retrieved August 29, 2017.
  15. Moritz, Amy (August 18, 2017). "Buffalo Bisons mascot Celery reflects on upcoming retirement from popular racing circuit". The Buffalo News. Retrieved August 29, 2017.
  16. "Carrot, Beef on Weck replace Celery in Bisons' WCC Race".
  17. "Ricky Relish wins Hot Dog Race". International League. June 20, 2013. Retrieved April 8, 2016.
  18. "Durham Bulls Introduce "Bull Durham Racers"". YouTube . April 12, 2013. Archived from the original on 2021-12-15.
  19. "Race Standings". Lakewood BlueClaws. Retrieved April 8, 2016.
  20. "Iron Pigs Racer Surprise Visit" (PDF). Minor League Baseball. Retrieved April 8, 2016.
  21. "'Ribbie' selected to be fifth Pork Racer". Minor League Baseball. Retrieved March 2, 2018.
  22. "Country Legends Race". Nashville Sounds. Retrieved April 9, 2016.
  23. @nashvillesounds (April 10, 2018). "Introducing our newest Country Legend racer...@DollyParton! She debuted with a W #CrankItRED Special thanks to @FirstTennessee for making all of our races possible!" (Tweet) via Twitter.
  24. ""Three Strikes, You're Out"". Governing Magazine, governing.com. March 14, 2014.
  25. "Salt Lake Bees among Utah pro baseball teams excited to welcome fans back after year hiatus". 28 April 2021.
  26. "PNC Bank Legends Race". YouTube . May 19, 2015. Archived from the original on 2021-12-15. Retrieved August 2, 2017.
  27. Hill, Benjamin (August 7, 2008). "At Home With the Ports". Minor League Baseball. Retrieved April 8, 2016.