MLB Mascot Brackets – The Bird vs BJ Birdy
Posted by: Richie Rich in Blue Jays, Mascot Brackets, Mascots, OriolesSluggerrr is well on his way to the second round, so let’s head to the Feather Division for a new matchup …
#3 The Bird (Baltimore Orioles) vs. #6 B.J. Birdy (Toronto Blue Jays)
Maryland’s state bird is the Baltimore Oriole. I guess we know why the team is named the Orioles, now don’t we? In 1979, the Orioles unveiled their new mascot – which would be christened “The Bird.” And why not?
In Baltimore the Bird is hugely popular. So popular – he gets to hang out with Chris Rock.
Currently, the Bird is a contender for the Mascot Hall of Fame’s Class of 2007. Here’s some highlights. Wait till the end to see if The Bird can fly.
If Toronto had followed Baltimore’s model for naming their baseball team after the official bird of Ontario, it would have been the Toronto Loons and not the Blue Jays.
Instead the Premier of Ontario saw a Blue Jay one morning. Since he was on the board of directors of the team … the team became the Toronto Blue Jays.
In retrospect, the team should have been called the Gulls – for all the seagulls that would invade Exhibition Stadium every night. Ask Dave Winfield about those birds.
Unlike the Jays’ current mascot, Ace, that thing actually looks like a freakin Blue Jay – if he was an HR Puff n’ stuff character. He’s still better than Ace.
BJ Birdy came to be in 1979 and was the mascot for the Blue Jays until 1999, when he was relieved of his mascot duties without warning. I don’t think the Jays have ever said why for sure, but I would bet you some Loonies and Toonies that it’s because the man under the feathers probably owned the costume and all the copyrights to the BJ Birdie likeness (just like the Chicken).
There’s no video of BJ Birdy, but Blue Jay fans want their beloved BJ back. They never got to say goodbye.
Winner gets to face off against the San Diego Chicken. Lucky Bird.
[Poll=25]
Voting is open until Sunday, September 16, at Midnight Eastern time.
Entries (RSS)
September 13th, 2007 at 12:55 am
Fun facts:
Indeed, I believe it is exactly because the man in the suit owned the copyrights that BJ is now only with us in spirit.
Also, as quaint as the Premier of Ontario story is, the sad truth, for those that don’t know, is that the majority owners of the team originally were Labatt breweries, so it’s no coincidence that Blue made its way into the name.
These days the team has shifted away from using Blue, prefering simply the “Jays”. You see this in the logos, and in most media. They’ve also done away with the traditional blue jerseys. . . Which is not exactly surprising when you know that new owner, Rogers Inc., uses red as its primary colour, and that their chief competitor in the Canadian telecommunications market is the “true blue” Bell Canada.
Coincidence?
March 26th, 2009 at 1:57 pm
Two cool birds and from opisite sides of the border B.J BIRDY comes from CANADA and BIRD is from here in the lower 48 and the BALTIMORE ORIOLE is the state bird of MARYLAND