Three Little Minnesota Pigs

Provided by the Minnesota Zoo

 

These three little pigs are in the running to be the St. Paul Saints’ mascot this season.

 

Three little pigs — no, not those three little pigs — newly born at the Minnesota Zoo are competing to be this season’s mascot for the St. Paul Saints minor league baseball team.

The Saints use a new pig for the ham-it-up role each year, but this is the first time the zoo is providing the candidates.

The winning piglet–and his name — will be unveiled May 18 during the Saints’ annual “World’s Largest Game of Catch” in downtown St. Paul. The event, free to the public, takes place from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Robert Street between 6th Street and 7th Place.

As mascot, the pig’s duties includes entertaining fans during home games and carrying baseballs out to the home-plate umpire between innings.

Last season’s mascot pig was named “Boarack Ohama.” He was returned to the western Wisconsin farm of Dennis Hauth, who has been the team’s regular provider of the mascot. In January, the no-longer-little piggy went to market.

“He got to be over 400 pounds, and it was time to say goodbye,” said Hauth of River Falls.

The same fate has met all of the annual mascots, except the first, who was named “Saint.”

“I kept him until old age,” Hauth said. “But it was too hard on him, and it was too hard on me. He reached more than 1,500 pounds,” causing Saint numerous physical problems until his death at age 3.

“We ended up burying him on the farm,” Hauth said.

Except for Saint’s successor, “Paula,” all of the mascots have been males. Hauth said that allows him to have the lucky fellas neutered, calming them down “whole bunches.”

By Paul Walsh – Star Tribune • 612-673-4482

Posted:  Just One More Pet 

Related Articles:  

• Bat and Ball Dog Ejected From Game By Umpire

Bat and Ball Dog Ejected From Game By Umpire

A quick potty break got Master Yogi Berra, pictured, thrown off his baseball team’s field during a game last Tuesday. (Photo Courtesy of the Greensboro Grasshoppers)

GREENSBORO, N.C. — The Greensboro Grasshoppers weren’t the only ones that took a major hit during last Tuesday’s 6-9 loss to the Asheville Tourists.

The baseball team’s mascot, Master Yogi Berra, a bat and ball fetching dog, was ejected off the field during the fourth inning. The male mutt was reportedly shamed after he relieved himself on the field.

“When you gotta go, you gotta go,” Donald Moore, the Grasshopers’ general manager, told the Greensboro News and Record. Trouble started when Yogi was fetching a ball launched to center field in between innings. When he was running back to homeplate, he stopped and squatted. Homeplate umpire Jason Hutchings reportedly did not look lightly on the incident.

Yogi is thought to be the first dog ever ejected from a professional game. He made his first appearance at NewBridge Bank Park in June 2008, at the ripe age of 8-weeks-old. An active interest in baseball apparently runs in the family — Yogi is the little brother of Miss Babe Ruth, another Grasshoppers’ canine mascot.

Though Yogi has been scorned by some, Moore expressed sympathy for the embarrassed dog.

“Yogi’s had a tough start to his season and I hope this doesn’t get him down,” said Moore, who also owns the team. “He clearly couldn’t control himself out there. He’s such a competitor and he wanted to do his duties as he’s been trained.

“We all hope Yogi feels better soon and he returns to us ready to entertain our fans. You know, he’s volunteering his time out there, so I hope he doesn’t get fined too much … Let’s hope this is an isolated incident and Yogi can learn from this experience.”

Moore also jokingly said that Yogi had been feeling under the weather last week, which could have accounted for his momentary lapse of bladder control. Yogi is now being listed as day-to-day on the team’s injury report.

Source:   ZooToo/Greensboro News and Record and The Wall Street Journal

Related Articles:  

• Three Little Minnesota Pigs