The Ballad Of The Fake Dodgers Bear Mascot

The great thing about baseball is that even after 150 years, you can watch a game and see something you've never seen before. Last night was one of those games. The renegade fan dancing atop the Cardinals dugout may have been wearing a bear suit, but this was a unique instance of guerilla mascoting.

Rally Bear only made his national debut in the eighth, as L.A. was taking on an insurance run in its 3-0 win over St. Louis. But he had been prowling Dodger Stadium all evening:

I love the proof for why this guy in a ratty, depressing bear costume and surgical gloves isn't an official Dodgers mascot: The Dodgers don't have a mascot. But the right to bear arms is a protected one, so Rally Bear was allowed to roam the concourses unmolested. Until he took to the dugout, and entertained the crap out of Dustin Hoffman.

That was enough. Security gingerly approached the bear—they can be vicious when startled or feel their cubs are threatened—and yanked him off the dugout. The fact that this video exists makes me inappropriately happy.

The Dodgers got their third run, and have cut their NLCS deficit to 2-1. Scientifically and sabermetrically, I'm not sure you can completely put the win on Rally Bear's shoulders. Just mostly.

Getty photographers were snapping away as the sad bear was led away by amused security. But Rally Bear wasn't down. With one last whip of the towel, he fired up the crowd in a way only an unauthorized mascot can. This is Rally Bear's house.

More than any of this, I take glee in the fact that Rally Bear is probably banned from Dodger Stadium, which means that at every entrance and security outpost there hangs a photo of his sad, droopy bear head. Do not let this bear in. He is too much fun.

H/t Connor of @ section925.