The Most Memorable Minor Leaguers

Baseball mascots are delightfully colorful tributes to their Southern hometowns

As fans of America’s favorite pastime know, an evening at the nearby minor league park offers much more than a ballgame. There are local food and drink specials, a chance to see up-and-coming players before they hit the big time, and, perhaps most importantly, enthusiastic mascots who entertain audiences between innings. In recent years, minor league programs across the South have taken on more playful team names (Flying Squirrels in Richmond, Virginia; Biscuits in Montgomery, Alabama) and, with them, loveable—and sometimes bizarre—mascots (looking at you, Strike the Sasquatch, who keeps the crowd’s feet stomping for the Northwest Arkansas Naturals). Click through the gallery to see some of our favorites.