I watched the home-run derby and noticed a bunch of mascots all standing together in one place clapping and reacting to the home runs. They looked ridiculous, like idiotic shills with no dignity.
(I mean this "seriously". If you think a guy in a chicken costume can't have much dignity, you haven't seen the San Diego Chicken. His persona was similar to Bugs Bunny, like a smart-alek kid who can get away with doing whatever he feel like, always winning in the end.)
I'm sure not blaming the mascots for doing what they're told, and I sure don't blame them for walking out.
Once again, "baseball management" is totally tone-deaf to what baseball fans want.
The fans *want* to see mascots having fun, acting up, dancing, playing tricks, and so on. I don't think anyone got any enjoyment out of seeing those mascots all just standing there, jumping up and down, and clapping.
I remember a few years ago at Tiger Stadium, during one of the breaks there was a fast-paced song playing on the PA system (could have been "Hold That Tiger").
The Tiger's mascot, "Paws", came running up the aisle, grabbed a little girl by the hand and begin jumping around and dancing to the song.
The little girl danced right along with him, laughing and having a great time. Everybody in the section started clapping along, and they got a big hand at the finish.
*That's* what mascots should be used for, and they deserve to be treated with respect - they earn it by adding so much enjoyment to the customer.
Only a damn fool would tell the mascots to stand together and jump around like idiots for hours in 90 degree heat (which is bad enough), and then expect that they would entertain the customers after that.
any comments on this?
Also, I think I missed your take on the All-Star game's tie-finish. Unless you don't have any opinion on it. Yeah, right... :)