Wally the Green Monster
Encyclopedia
Wally the Green Monster is the official mascot
for the Boston Red Sox
Major League Baseball
team. His name is derived from the Green Monster
nickname of the 37-foot 6-inches wall in left field at Fenway Park
. Wally debuted on February 2, 1997 to the chagrin of many older Red Sox fans. Although he was a hit with children, older fans did not immediately adopt him as part of the franchise. As of , Wally has become more accepted by Red Sox fans of all ages, largely due to broadcaster
Jerry Remy
creating stories about him and sharing them during televised games.
for 50 years. On the 50th anniversary of the Green Monster in 1997, he came out of the manual scoreboard and has been interacting with players and fans ever since.
' mascot Raymond. Before the Red Sox play a series in Tampa Bay, Raymond typically attacks or pranks either Wally or the visiting broadcast booth where the miniature Wally stays with Remy and Don Orsillo
. Raymond's more publicized attacks have involved running Wally over with a four-wheeler and hanging over 40 miniature Raymond dolls in the visiting broadcasters' booth.
Mascot
The term mascot – defined as a term for any person, animal, or object thought to bring luck – colloquially includes anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name...
for the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
team. His name is derived from the Green Monster
Green Monster
The Green Monster is a popular nickname for the thirty-seven foot , two-inch high left field wall at Fenway Park, home to the Boston Red Sox baseball team...
nickname of the 37-foot 6-inches wall in left field at Fenway Park
Fenway Park
Fenway Park is a baseball park near Kenmore Square in Boston, Massachusetts. Located at 4 Yawkey Way, it has served as the home ballpark of the Boston Red Sox baseball club since it opened in 1912, and is the oldest Major League Baseball stadium currently in use. It is one of two "classic"...
. Wally debuted on February 2, 1997 to the chagrin of many older Red Sox fans. Although he was a hit with children, older fans did not immediately adopt him as part of the franchise. As of , Wally has become more accepted by Red Sox fans of all ages, largely due to broadcaster
Presenter
A presenter, or host , is a person or organization responsible for running an event. A museum or university, for example, may be the presenter or host of an exhibit. Likewise, a master of ceremonies is a person that hosts or presents a show...
Jerry Remy
Jerry Remy
Gerald Peter "Rem Dawg" Remy is a Major League Baseball broadcaster and former Major League Baseball second baseman. Remy grew up in Somerset, Massachusetts.-Playing career:...
creating stories about him and sharing them during televised games.
Biography
According to the Red Sox promotions department, Wally was a huge Red Sox fan who decided to move inside the left field wall of Fenway Park since it "eats up" hits that would easily be home runs at other parks in 1947. He was very shy and lived the life of a hermitHermit
A hermit is a person who lives, to some degree, in seclusion from society.In Christianity, the term was originally applied to a Christian who lives the eremitic life out of a religious conviction, namely the Desert Theology of the Old Testament .In the...
for 50 years. On the 50th anniversary of the Green Monster in 1997, he came out of the manual scoreboard and has been interacting with players and fans ever since.
Rivalry
Wally has an ongoing rivalry with Tampa Bay RaysTampa Bay Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays are a Major League Baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays are a member of the Eastern Division of MLB's American League. Since their inception in , the club has played at Tropicana Field...
' mascot Raymond. Before the Red Sox play a series in Tampa Bay, Raymond typically attacks or pranks either Wally or the visiting broadcast booth where the miniature Wally stays with Remy and Don Orsillo
Don Orsillo
Don Orsillo is the play-by-play announcer for Boston Red Sox games on the New England Sports Network.-Early life and career:...
. Raymond's more publicized attacks have involved running Wally over with a four-wheeler and hanging over 40 miniature Raymond dolls in the visiting broadcasters' booth.
Public relations
- On Kid's Opening DayOpening DayOpening Day is the day on which professional baseball leagues begin their regular season. For Major League Baseball and most of the minor leagues, this day falls during the first week of April. For baseball fans, Opening Day serves as a symbol of rebirth; writer Thomas Boswell once penned a book...
in 1997, Wally appeared on the field to greet younger fans at Fenway Park and threw the ceremonial first pitch.
- Wally plush toys have been given out to young fans at home games.
- Remy has discussed Wally's fictitious adventures during Red Sox broadcasts since 2002. During that time, Remy has had a miniature Wally doll sitting in a miniature white Adirondack chairAdirondack chairAn Adirondack chair or Muskoka chair is a type of chair favored in rural, outdoor settings. The precursor to today's Adirondack chair was designed by Thomas Lee in 1903. He was on vacation in Westport, New York, in the heart of the Adirondack Mountains, and needed outdoor chairs for his summer...
in front of him in the booth, which has been known to sit upside down during rallies. Remy has written five books, all published by Mascot BooksMascot BooksMascot Books is the largest publisher of licensed children’s sports books in America. Based in Herndon, Virginia, just outside of Washington, D.C., Mascot Books creates children’s books for professional teams, colleges, and even elementary schools...
,Hello Wally, Coast to Coast with Wally the Green Monster, 'A Season with Wally the Green Monster, Wally the Green Monster and his World Tour, and Wally the Green Monster and His Journey Through Red Sox Nation!
- Wally makes appearances at many of the charities and organizations in which the Red Sox are involved, particularly the Jimmy Fund and the Boys and Girls Club of America.
- Wally's Build-A-Bear WorkshopBuild-A-Bear WorkshopBuild-A-Bear Workshop is an American retailer headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri that sells teddy bears and other stuffed animals. Customers go through an interactive process in which the stuffed animal of their choice is assembled and customized during their visit to the store, and is the...
isn't at Fenway Park, but at the Build-A-Bear store in the Faneuil HallFaneuil HallFaneuil Hall , located near the waterfront and today's Government Center, in Boston, Massachusetts, has been a marketplace and a meeting hall since 1742. It was the site of several speeches by Samuel Adams, James Otis, and others encouraging independence from Great Britain, and is now part of...
Marketplace. Wally is the first mascot to have a year-round store.
- Wally has two friends that make appearances on Sundays at Fenway, a pair of socks named "Lefty" and "Righty".
- Wally has appeared in two of ESPNESPNEntertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
's "This is SportsCenterThis is SportsCenterThis is SportsCenter is the name of a series of comical television commercials run by ESPN to promote their SportsCenter sports news show. The ads are presented in a deadpan mockumentary style, lampooning various aspects of sports, and sports broadcasting. The commercials debuted in 1994...
" commercials. In the first he was operating the TelePrompTerTeleprompterAn autocue is a display device that prompts the person speaking with an electronic visual text of a speech or script. Using a teleprompter is similar to the practice of using cue cards...
while ESPN anchors Scott Van PeltScott Van PeltScott Van Pelt is an American sportscaster. He is an anchor for the 11 p.m. edition of SportsCenter on ESPN, the host of The Scott Van Pelt Show on ESPN Radio and has also covered various golf events for the network.-Early life:...
and Rich Eisen struggled to read what he had typed. In the second, Red Sox player David OrtizDavid OrtizDavid Américo Ortiz Arias , known as David Ortiz, nicknamed "Big Papi", is a Dominican American professional baseball player who is currently a free agent. Previously, Ortiz played with the Minnesota Twins and Boston Red Sox...
put on a New York YankeesNew York YankeesThe New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
hat to break it in for Jorge PosadaJorge PosadaJorge Rafael Posada Villeta is a Major League Baseball player who is currently a free agent and has played his entire career for the New York Yankees. He served as the Yankees primary catcher for most of his career, though following off-season knee surgery, he was moved to designated hitter for...
when Wally, walking by, became visibly shocked into dropping his papers and dismissing Ortiz's attempts to explain.