WATCH: Phillies Mascot Does The Wave By Himself at Baseball Game – ‘Heartbreaking (And Kind Of Hilarious)’

Sarah RumpfJul 26th, 2020, 10:01 pm
 
philles phanatic mascot

Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images.

Sports teams have had to make many adjustments to keep their players and fans safe during the coronavirus pandemic, as Major League Baseball has done as their season opened this month. That’s led to some unusual scenes, including teams placing cardboard cutouts of fans in the seats, and one lonely mascot forlornly trying to rally an empty stadium.

The MLB unveiled a shortened schedule for the 2020 season, after spring training was cancelled and the season’s original expected opening day delayed due to the pandemic. The new schedule includes 60 games, with an “emphasis on geographic proximity.”

AP sportswriter Dan Gelston attended the Philadelphia Phillies’ Sunday game versus the Miami Marlins, the third in a series the two teams played this week, and tweeted several updates from the game.

The Phillies and Marlins had each won one game in their series so far, with the Marlins prevailing 5-2 on Friday, June 24, and the Phillies getting a 7-1 victory on Saturday, June 25.

The Phillies mascot, the “Phillie Phanatic,” tried his best to rally his team. Gelston posted a short video clip of the Phanatic attempting to get the wave started — a tough prospect when the only fans present are made of cardboard.

Gelston’s 20-second video quickly went viral, racking up several hundred thousand views.

CNN Business News Editor Alexis Benveniste tweeted Gelston’s video, calling it “heartbreaking (and kind of hilarious).”

NBC Sports captured another angle of the Phanatic’s efforts, trying to get the wave started but failing to inspire his cardboard friends.

The Phanatic also had fun heckling a cardboard Marlins fan, dancing in front of the faux fan and even spraying its face with silly string.

Sadly for the fluffy green guy, his efforts were in vain, and the Marlins got the W, 11-6.

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Sarah Rumpf - Contributing Editor

Sarah Rumpf joined Mediaite in 2020 and is a Contributing Editor focusing on politics, law, and the media. A native Floridian, Sarah attended the University of Florida, graduating with a double major in Political Science and German, and earned her Juris Doctor, cum laude, from the UF College of Law. Sarah's writing has been featured at National Review, The Daily Beast, Reason, Law&Crime, Independent Journal Review, Texas Monthly, The Capitolist, Breitbart Texas, Townhall, RedState, The Orlando Sentinel, and the Austin-American Statesman, and her political commentary has led to appearances on television, radio, and podcast programs across the globe. Follow Sarah on Threads, Twitter, and Bluesky.