Two years ago, Emma wrote about Dandy, the Yankees’ short-lived mascot. Today in the Wall Street Journal, Scott Cacciola has a piece on the biggest bust in team history:
In 1979, the Yankees appeared eager to replicate the success of the Phillie Phanatic, the green, pot-bellied mascot that Mr. Harrison and Ms. Erickson created in 1978. In his first two years of existence, according to Mr. Harrison, Phanatic-related products generated $2 million in revenue—and his popularity has not waned.
He made more than 550 public appearances last year, has his own merchandise store in Philadelphia and is on display at the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Dandy, on the other hand, got thrown in a dumpster.
He was designed by Ms. Erickson, who had worked on “The Muppet Show” and created Miss Piggy, among other characters. Dandy was marketed as a “dyed-in-the-wool” Yankees fan.
He was blessed with a pear-shaped physique that was almost Ruth-ian. He had a hat that spun, a cartoon-size baseball bat and a big, bushy mustache that evoked Thurman Munson, the team’s star catcher—which was no coincidence.
Above all, Dandy was a New Yorker.
“He was supposed to be sassy,” Mr. Harrison said. “He was supposed to have that Yankee swagger.”
Nah, no mascots. No cheerleaders, no mascots. We’ve got enough nuts and clowns in the Bronx as it is.
[Photo Credit: Wayde Harrison]
my oh my - just look at that thing. it belongs in a dumpster.
"sassy" is not an adjective i want anywhere near the yankees.
Dandy wasn't the first time George dabbled in the mascot business. In 1973, he hired Max Patkin, the "clown prince of baseball", to perform in the stands during a handful of Yankees games. Thankfully, such experiments were short lived.
In the previous thread, Shaun linked to our discussion of Dandy from the old Toaster: http://bronxbanter.baseballtoaster.com/archives/1005978.html
Interestingly, the article Emma referenced seems as if it got some of the facts wrong, which I guess par for the course from the NYT.
The only furry Yankee mascot I ever liked was Sal Fasano. He had a slighly bushier 'stache than Dandy.
I thought Freddie Sez was the mascot.
(almost got my pic w/ him when my wife and I took in a game a couple weeks ago).
Maybe Dandy can show up at Andy Pettitte's 38th birthday party!
(Happy B'day Andy)
(from the last thread)
Thank god I had left the NY area (returning in the 90’s) before this muppet made the rounds in Yankee Stadium and I never saw the thing live. It just is not the Yankee Way. The dixieland band was more appropriate.
For some reason, I do like the Philly Phanatic, he would be as crude as the Philly fans if he had a voice.
It is also un-Yankeelike when they show scoreboard graphics enticing the crowd “to make some noise”. Yankee fans know when to cheer, and an electronic cheer-leader is insulting to the faithful.
Going to the game tonight, and looking forward to CC holding down the slumping Phils, and the Yanks getting to Halladay…it has happened on occasion.
PS: Please Boycott the local edition of the WSJ. It has become a clarion for Murdoch’s Foxian agenda, and he will spend and lose whatever it takes to bring the NY Times down.
[7] More politics? That could have been left behind the last thread.
[8] oops, sorry.
I'll have to check, but I don't think the Yankees yearbooks of the times make any reference to Dandy either.
[1] It was the seventies, after all - sassy was in!
[4] I think the 'stache (and the hair) are what really sink Dandy. That puke-orange color (very 70s!) just doesn't mix with the blue-and-white. I'm not sure what would. Neck down, I think Dandy's a fine looking mascot. But that mug? Ugh. Munson looked better (and I mean that in the most complimentary way possible).
In some ways, its a shame Dandy didn't make it. Couldn't you just picture how thrilled Kay and Sterling would be to have Dandy hovering behind them at the mike for "big events"? Tons of wasted comedic potential.
Yup, Dandy was just ugly, it seems.
Wow, never saw that pic of Dandy. Pretty bad. Mascots and the wave are the two things that any self respecting Yankee fan will consider a terrible idea.
I do love the Philly Phanatic though too.
wow - yuck! we've already got a dandy and he's a golden god! Happy Birthday, Andy!!!
that 'stache really does evoke thurman. i've been on a thurman baseball card collecting kick here lately. only 1 left to get! this is something i've wanted to do for several years and i'm glad i'm finally around to it.
thurman was my 1st idol. i've got a plaque of his here in my den, a cool action photo of him behind my drumset and a t-shirt i wear regularly.