The way we gasp! The Phillie Phanatic announces retirement...new mascot is revealed! There is no mascot quite like the Phillie Phanatic. He's not just famous in Philadelphia, but around the world. In fact, many other mascot have even said the Phillie Phanatic is their inspiration.

It's pretty wild that the Phillie Phanatic is over 40 years old. He never ages! The Phanatic debuted on April 25, 1978, at The Vet, when the Phils played the Chicago Cubs. He was formally introduced to the public on the locally produced children's show "Captain Noah and His Magical Ark" by then-Phillies player Tim McCarver.

Do you know that the The Phanatic even appeared in the closing credits of the film Rocky Balboa!

I was lucky enough to sit right next to the dugout at a Phillies game a few years ago and got to see the Phanatic dance on top, shake his belly, and lead the Phillies into a win.

Obviously the Phillies kicked off the 2024 season this past Friday against the Atlanta Braves. The Phillies were supposed to have their home opener on Thursday, but it was rescheduled due to the rain. Game 1 was on Friday and we lost Friday and Saturday, but luckily won Sunday.

Bryce Harper was out of the lineup on Sunday due to a scheduled day off, although some people were worried he was hurt after he flipped over the fence into the camera bank trying to catch a fly ball during Saturday's game.

The Phillies play again tonight at 6:40p against the Cincinnati Reds at Citizens Bank Park, although it's supposed to rain all week, so it will be interesting to see if any of the games get cancelled.

Even if The Phillies struggle, The Phillie Phanatic always brings us joy. So hopefully like Jason Kelce, he will still be part of the organization even after he retires. ;) Go Phillies!