Wayback: the Yankees short-lived mascot


Do you remember "Dandy," as in Yankee Doodle Dandy?  Seeking to jump on the bandwagon led by the Phillie Phanatic and San Diego Chicken, the Yanks went to the same design team that created the Phanatic to see if the lovable furry thing might be what we'd currently consider a "brand extension."  

Dandy debuted at the Stadium in July 1979.  Sporting pinstripes and a walrus-like mustache that resembled that of Captain Thurman Munson, the character was pulled after Munson's plane crash death weeks later.  Even when it was brought back, Dandy never cavorted on the field as the Phanatic does -- or came up with a gimmick fans to bond with fans.  Instead, it was confined to corridors and off-field areas, which I where I snapped this at a Yankees/Orioles game in September 1981.

Unsure of how to fit a mascot in with the club's image -- and uncomfortable at the facial resemblance to Munson -- the concept never quite worked and was dropped after the 1981 season.  

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