The Dollop Episode 711: Early Baseball Mascots (December 2, 2025)

Episode Overview

In this episode of The Dollop, comedians Dave Anthony and Gareth Reynolds dive into the origin and evolution of baseball mascots in America. Starting with the word’s roots in French opera, the discussion quickly shifts to the bizarre, often exploitative, and sometimes dark history of mascots in early American baseball. The episode explores how superstitions led teams to employ children, animals, and people with disabilities as lucky charms, highlighting the intersection of sports, culture, racism, and ableism through jaw-dropping true stories. True to the Dollop formula, Dave provides the historical narrative while Gareth reacts with irreverence and comedic banter, making for an engaging and thought-provoking listen.

Key Discussion Points & Notable Segments

1. The Origin of the Word "Mascot" (00:16–04:01)

• Background: The term "mascot" originated from the 1880 French opera La Mascotte, which popularized the idea of a person (specifically a chaste woman) bringing good luck.
• Transition to the US: Brought to America, “mascot” morphs in the sports context and rapidly loses sophistication:
  • Dave: "So the words in the Scott slot because...because of the opera. The word finds its way to America and we make it really stupid. The sporting Life." (03:37)
• French roots and American adaptation:
  • Gareth: "We'll have a white guy do brown face. He'll put on war paint." (03:54)
  • Dave: "Hey, that's the good version of what I'm about to go into." (03:59)

2. Handsome Dan & John the Orangeman: Early Animal and Human Mascots (04:06–09:19)

• Handsome Dan (Yale’s Bulldog):
  • Earliest known team mascot—an actual dog.
  • Ongoing tradition: There have been 18 Handsome Dans.
  • Dark joke: “They kill them if they lose.” (04:41, Gareth)
• John the Orangeman (Harvard):
  • Irish immigrant who sold fruit to students and became a campus legend.
  • Speculations he sold more than just fruit; possibly liquor on a dry campus.
  • "He made so much money doing this that he was able to buy a three-story house in Cambridge." (08:06, Dave)

3. Mascots as Boys, Goats, and ‘Lucky Charms’—Early Baseball Superstition (09:19–16:07)

• Boy mascots: Boys like “Chick,” who carried bats and ran errands, believed to confer luck.
  • Quote: “The players pin their faith to Chick’s luck bringing qualities.” (10:12, Dave, quoting Sporting Life)
• Goats and other animals: Teams start bringing goats onto the field for good luck.
  • Gareth mocks the randomness: “Well, we got a goat.” (10:42)
• Mascots as expendables:
  • “If teams did well, they would keep the boy or the animal around. If they started to lose, they cut the kid loose.” (15:03, Dave)
  • Parody dialogue of street urchin mascots being abruptly abandoned: “Get one of your other street urchin buddies in here.” (15:44, Gareth)

4. Exploitation and Prejudice: "The More Outcast, the More ‘Lucky’” (19:09–24:36)

• Mascots chosen for being marginalized:
  • “There seemed to be different versions of it, but it sounds like Ty Cobb had run across... Harrison before a game and he liked him.” (20:56, Dave)
  • Discusses Ty Cobb’s racist legacy and relationships with mascots.
• Racist, ableist superstitions: Teams often preferred mascots who were orphans, had disabilities, or were minorities, reflecting the intersection of superstition, exploitation, and systemic prejudice.
  • Dave: "Very disturbing place that America seemed to have the belief that the more socially outcast someone was, the more his worth was as a good luck charm." (23:59)

5. The Story of Ulysses Simon Harrison (‘Little Rastus’): Race and Dehumanization in Baseball (19:54–47:16)

• Harrison’s journey: Black orphan picked up by the Detroit Tigers, becomes personal mascot for Ty Cobb, is treated as a magical token.
• Objectification: Players rub their bats on Harrison’s hair for luck (28:03–29:05).
  • Dave: "Rubbing black people's head is a very subtle and passive way of being disrespectful or condescending." (28:41)
• Disposability and resilience: When the team’s luck fades, Harrison is discarded, then joins the Cubs as their mascot, adding a layer to the sports rivalry.
  • “He promises the Cubs to put a curse on his ex friends. And the Cubs take him in.” (44:10, Dave)
• Afterlife: Cobb brings Harrison home to work as a domestic servant—layering what Dave and Gareth call almost "slavish" overtones (45:04–46:05).
• Complex feelings: Dave reflects, “My feelings on this are so complicated because it’s horrible—but he just made $2,000. He was never going to make that as a kid.” (47:32)

6. The Humpbacked Mascot: Louis Van Zelst and the Philadelphia Athletics (50:04–58:45)

• Louis Van Zelst: A child with severe physical deformity due to an accident becomes the A's celebrated good luck charm.
• Team traditions: Players rub his “hump” for luck before games.
  • Gareth lampoons superstition: “They are celebrating...watching them rub that big old back of that child there, believing there’s a genie inside of that hump...” (55:56)
• Humanizing moments: Despite the exploitative context, Louis is valued for his personality and is integrated into major events, like wedding invites and team photos.
• Tragedy: Louis’ health fails and he dies young, his condition never properly addressed or treated (78:15).

7. The New York Giants and Charlie ‘Victory’ Faust: Mental Health and Mascot Exploitation (60:09–74:38)

• Charlie Faust: Mentally challenged man convinced by a fortune teller he would lead the Giants to the pennant; becomes their “mascot” and lucky charm, cheered by crowds as he mimes participation.
  • “When Charlie was with them in uniform, they won 36 and 2…” (64:36, Dave)
• Desperate for a real role: Charlie, believing in his destiny, pressures to actually play and is eventually allowed a brief token appearance.
• Downfall: As scrutiny grows about his exploitation, he is dropped by the team and eventually institutionalized before dying young — reflecting on the grim fates awaiting such mascots.

8. The ‘Humpback Arms Race’ & More Exploitation (Phillies, White Sox, Dodgers, Yankees) (82:00–90:33)

• Arms race for lucky mascots: Teams begin actively seeking mascots with specific disabilities, believing it will affect their fortunes.
  • "Baseball teams think they need a human being with a specific physical deformity in order to be good at baseball." (82:47, Dave)
• Brief, tragic lives: Often children with disabilities, like Eddie Bennett, rise to brief fame as mascots and then struggle deeply when discarded.

9. Modern Echoes: The 2004 Boston Red Sox & Nelson de la Rosa (91:32–92:42)

• Pedro Martinez and Nelson de la Rosa: Even in the 21st century, similar patterns recur—Red Sox embrace a little person as their “good luck charm” in their legendary streak-breaking run. Pedro later dismisses their bond as “just a trick”; Nelson dies two years later.
  • Dave: “It is 2004. They did the...I mean, besides having him as a bat boy, they didn’t do that. But they had him there in the clubhouse all the time.” (91:59)

10. Reflection & The Moral Mess of Mascot History (94:53–End)

• Ongoing exploitation: Despite (some) progress, the hosts reflect that America is still a hard place for people with disabilities. Discussion of instances of exploitative “mascot” dynamics in recent decades.
• Gareth sums up: “I think what...if there is a healthy enjoyment factor that is consented to in a way that feels on the up and up, then I guess, whatever. But...punching down versus just sort of having elevating someone’s life experience, I guess.” (95:24)
• **Dave compares it to modern freak shows, child actors, and societal neglect.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On American innovation:
  "The word finds its way to America and we make it really stupid." — Dave (03:37)

• Superstition gone wild:
  "At this point, it's mostly just boys and animals...if teams did well, they would keep the boy or the animal around. If they started to lose, they cut the kid loose." — Dave (15:03)

• On trashing the mascots:
  Parodic dialogue as players cut a child mascot:
  “Get one of your other street urchin buddies in here.” — Gareth (15:44)
  “You should have made sure we won.” — Dave (16:14)

• Racism on display:
  “The Detroit News wrote that Cobb was, quote, the Ethiopian's main defender and patron.” — Dave (39:10)

• On superstitions involving disability:
  “There seemed to be different versions...but America seemed to have the belief that the more socially outcast someone was, the more his worth was as a good luck charm.” — Dave (23:59)

• Dark humor on mascots as talismans:
  “Hey, look, we need a mascot.” — Dave (52:18) “No, we have one.” — Gareth (52:50)

• Gareth’s summary of exploitative logic:
  “It's kind of like being a child actor to some extent. It's just sort of like, hey, you had a hell of a run, but you know, this is... This will end and you're lucky.” (79:48)

• Modern resonance:
  “In 2004...Nelson de la Rosa becomes the Red Sox good luck charm...It is 2004. They did the...I mean, besides having him as a bat boy, they didn’t do that. But they had him there in the clubhouse and all the time.” — Dave (91:59)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:16 – Origins of the word “mascot”
• 04:06 – Handsome Dan and John the Orangeman stories
• 09:19 – Boy and animal mascots, early superstitions
• 19:54 – Ulysses Simon Harrison (Little Rastus) and Ty Cobb
• 28:03–29:05 – Bat-rubbing ritual
• 44:10 – Harrison “curses” the Tigers and joins the Cubs
• 50:04 – Louis Van Zelst and the Philadelphia A’s
• 60:09 – Charlie Faust and the Giants’ “magical thinking”
• 82:00 – Mascot “arms race” for children with deformities
• 91:32 – Nelson de la Rosa and the 2004 Red Sox
• 94:53–End – Reflections and ongoing exploitation

Tone, Language, and Flow

• Comedic but critical: Dave’s deadpan historical narration anchors the episode, while Gareth’s incredulity and improvised dialogue heighten both the humor and the exasperation at the absurdities and cruelties of history.
• Candid discussion: The hosts wrestle honestly with the discomfort and moral ambiguity of their topic, especially regarding racism and ableism.
• Rich, satiric banter: Gareth often breaks into exaggerated “mascot” voices or mock play-by-plays, lampooning the bizarre logic of superstitious teams and offering commentary both dark and playful.
• Purposeful digressions: The hosts detour into modern parallels, personal anecdotes, and wider societal critiques—tying the past to the present.

For New Listeners

This episode offers a fascinating—and sometimes unsettling—account of how sports superstition, societal prejudice, and exploitation intersected in the heyday of American baseball. The hosts’ blend of history and comedy draws out both the absurd and tragic, making it both educational and entertaining (if at times jaw-droppingly dark). Those unfamiliar with The Dollop can expect a blend of research-based storytelling, irreverence, and sharp cultural critique.

If you want to hear how a French opera created a legacy of baseball teams seeking “luck” from marginalized kids and animals—and what that says about America—this episode is essential listening.