The return of baseball means the return of fans to stadiums that have now sat empty for a year and a half. There was just one group of people with whom I wanted to discuss this—MLB’s mascots.
The images of forlorn mascots trying to entertain rows of empty seats last season haunted me; the idea of them trying to adjust to a scenario with some fans, but still with restrictions, was oddly compelling. But most teams keep their mascots from media exposure to preserve a certain air of mystery, and with request after request, I was turned down.