Sea Dogs mascot scores a double in Hall of Fame awards
Photo / Jim Neuger
Slugger, the mascot of the Portland Sea Dogs baseball team, dons his Baby Shark costume to entertain fans at Hadlock Field this past spring.
Slugger, the Portland Sea Dogs mascot whose performance repertoire ranges from battling T-Rexes to dancing in a Baby Shark costume, has scored a double in the first-ever Mascot Fall of Fame Awards.
Slugger, who is the face of the Double-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox, won awards at the Minor League level for “Greatest Community Impact” and “Best In-Game Skit or Routine."
The Mascot Hall of Fame Awards program is brand-new this year, judging furry friends across the land in several sports categories including major, minor, college and high school sports, as well as independent and even corporate sports teams.
Winners in each category were determined through a month-long online public vote, and each winner will receive a “Golden Reggy," in honor of the Mascot Hall of Fame's mascot.
While Slugger uses nonverbal communication only, he issued a statement through a spokesperson.
“I would like to thank all the fans who voted for me," Slugger said. "It is truly an honor to be recognized for these awards and to represent the Sea Dogs at a national level. I have been blessed with the best fans (friends) in Minor League Sports and will continue to work hard to bring smiles and joy to fans everywhere! Thank you!”
The award for Greatest Community Impact is awarded to a program within the organization’s community that is spearheaded by the team or school’s mascot which directly benefits the community.
Slugger beat 10 other nominees to win in that category as the ambassador of the Sea Dogs’ Strike Out Cancer in Kids program, which has raised more than $5 million for the Maine Children’s Cancer Program since 1995.
The Best In-Game Skit or Routine honors a mascot that performs during a sporting event for the team or school. It could be a single routine/skit or a series of the same routine/skit that is performed all season long.
Slugger’s “Go Go Slugger Ranger” skit, featuring his triumphal slug-fest over an evil T-Rex, was the winner of the Golden Slugger as one of nine nominees in the category.
Besides honoring mascots, the Whiting, Ind.-based Mascot Hall of Fame is home to an interactive children's museum aimed at sports fans of all ages.
The Sea Dogs will open their 30th season at Portland's Hadlock Field on April 6, 2023, against the Binghamton Rumble Ponies, the Double-A affiliate of the New York Mets.
Chris Cameron, the Sea Dogs' vice president for communications and fan experience, told Mainebiz that the organization is "super-excited to see Slugger get this well-deserved recognition."
He also said that individual and ticket sales have been very strong this year, and that sales are well ahead of where they were last year. Attendance in 2022 was the team's highest since 2010.
Asked how Slugger spends the off-season, Cameron said he plans routines to entertain fans for the upcoming season.
"He does take some time off to visit family and do some fishing on Casco Bay," Cameron added.
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