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New for 2017: Saints Mascot Alternative Fats

Alternative Fats

A new season means a new ball pig from the St. Paul Saints (independent; American Association), who have unveiled Alternative Fats

Throughout their history, the Saints have introduced a new pig mascot each season. The tradition was gained attention over the team’s run at Midway Stadium, where mascots such as Kevin Bacon (2001), Boarock Ohama (2008), and Stephen Colboar (2014) served one-season stints. Since the move to CHS Field in 2015, the Saints have kept the tradition going, with Alternative Fats being the latest ball pig in their run at the ballpark.

Alternative Fats follows Little Red Porkette, who served in the role last season. More info on Alternative Fats from the team’s press release:

For the 25th season of St. Paul Saints Baseball the club searched far and wide for the perfect four-legged swine.  After choosing between over a million pigs (or two) the Saints found one that could run like a gazelle (or waddle like a duck) and eats three small meals a day (or gorges on anything within smelling distance of its snout).  No matter what you believe, the name for the Silver Anniversary pig will leave fans on both sides of the ballpark screaming his name: Alternative Fats.

When you’re a franchise like the Saints sometimes you need to SPICE it up, but this name is no CON and we’re doing it our WAY. Alternative Fats will enter the field each game like no other pig before him, with a white ground covering draped from his mansion-style pigpen to home plate for the billions of Saints fans to shower him with love and admiration. Alternative Fats will be so HUUUUGE it will make all other pigs jealous. Alternative Fats will go down in the pantheon of the greatest mascot names in the history of sports and we know a thing or two about great sports mascots. Welcome to the Saints Orwellian version of Animal Farm.

The Saints revealed the name on their Facebook Live stream at StPaulSaints after the World’s Largest Game of Catch was canceled due to rain. The name was selected out of a record 4,124,862 entries in the Name the Pig Contest presented by the Star Tribune at startribune.com. Many of the names submitted took a political undertone like Boar’d of Trump, Ham Jong Un and Pigimir Putin. Others played on the 25-year history of the franchise and harkened back to 1993 with such names as Snoop Hoggy Hog and Saint XXV. Many Minnesotans wanted to show off their state pride with Mary Tyler Boar and Super Boar LII. But in the end “two plus two equals four, partly cloudy, partly sunny, and a pig is a boar.” That’s Alternative Fats.

The winning entry was submitted by Daniel Jones of Northfield, MN. Daniel will receive a $50 Saints gift card, VIP Saints tickets, a photo with the pig and will escort the pig at a game.

During the previous 24 seasons the Saints have had a pig mascot and each has had a unique name. Many of the names play on hot topics of the year, current events or local celebrities. Last season the Saints honored one of the most iconic artists with Little Red Porkette. During the first season at CHS Field to honor the Lowertown artists they went with Pablo Pigasso. In 2014 the Saints received the Colboar bump with Stephen Colboar. The 2012 season saw two mascots for the first time: Kim Lardashian and Kris Hamphries. Past names have included Mackleboar (2013), Brat Favre (2010), Slumhog Millionaire (2009), Boarack Ohama (2008), Notorious P.I.G. – Piggy Smalls (2003) and Kevin Bacon (2001).

When the Saints moved to town in 1992, their sister team in Fort Myers was having great success with a live Golden Retriever mascot and the Saints wanted to capitalize on that success. Libby Veeck, the wife of Saints owner and President Mike Veeck, came across an interesting tidbit in a book she was reading and discovered St. Paul was known as “Pig’s Eye” after Pierre “Pig’s Eye” Parrant. Thus, the pig mascot was born.

Since 1993 the Saints have received the pig from Dennis and Marilyn Hauth who handle, train, design costumes and house the pigs.

Image of Alternative Fats courtesy St. Paul Saints. 

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