View source for Pirate Parrot

{{short description|Mascot of the Pittsburgh Pirates baseball team}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2017}}
{{Infobox MLB Mascot
| name        = Pirate Parrot
| image       = Pirate parrot pirates mascot.jpg
| caption     = The Pirate Parrot in 2006
| team        = Pittsburgh Pirates
| description = Large, green parrot
| origin      = 
| first       = 1979
| website     = [https://www.mlb.com/pirates/fans/mascots/pirate-parrot Official website]
}}
The '''Pirate Parrot''' is a costumed [[List of Major League Baseball mascots|mascot]] of the [[Pittsburgh Pirates]] of [[Major League Baseball]]. He was introduced in 1979 to boost sagging attendance numbers, and was inspired by the success of [[Phillies–Pirates rivalry|rival]] mascot [[Phillie Phanatic]], which the [[Philadelphia Phillies]] introduced the year before.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |date=1979-06-21 |title=Add the Pirate Parrot to the growing list of professional team mascots |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/berwick-enterprise-add-the-pirate-parrot/160799726/ |access-date=2024-12-12 |work=Berwick Enterprise |pages=7}}</ref>

==History==
The character of a [[parrot]] was derived from the classic story ''[[Treasure Island]]'' by [[Robert Louis Stevenson]], most notably the one owned by [[Long John Silver]] named "[[Captain Flint]]". 

The Pirates put out a casting call for highly-energetic candidates, hoping to find a comedic talent similar to [[Robin Williams]], and selected Kevin Koch after an extensive audition day due to his disco dance skills.<ref>{{Cite news |date=1979-03-30 |title=Finding The Perfect Parrot |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-news-finding-the-perfect-parro/160798421/ |access-date=2024-12-12 |work=The Daily News |pages=9}}</ref> The Parrot debuted on [[April Fools' Day]], [[1979 Pittsburgh Pirates season|1979]] when he "hatched" at [[Three Rivers Stadium]]. [[1979 in baseball|That year]], the "[[We Are Family (song)|We Are Family]]" Pirates won the [[1979 World Series|World Series]].
[[File:Pierogie race august 2006.jpg|thumb|The Pirate Parrot getting involved in the [[Great Pierogi Race]], seen with Oliver Onion and Cheese Chester]]

The Pirate Parrot's initial appearance, from 1979 to 1980, was thinner and "meaner", like the [[San Diego Chicken]], and donned traditional [[Piracy|pirate]] garb such as a captain's hat, vest, and a [[Jolly Roger]] flag. His dancing and gyrating were popular with fans, but he bothered some staff and players.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news |date=1980-05-04 |title=THE PIRATE PARROT: Skinny Or Fat? |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-pittsburgh-press-the-pirate-parrot/160799867/ |access-date=2024-12-12 |work=The Pittsburgh Press |pages=115}}</ref> In one game, an older grounds crew member kicked the Pirate Parrot in the head and threw a rake at him after the character jumped on the man's back.<ref name=":0" />

After a year, the Parrot was redesigned to be larger and more goofy-looking. "We think fat is funny", explained the Pirates promotion director.<ref name=":2">{{Cite news |date=1980-04-14 |title=Pirates Fatten Up Parrot, But He'll Be Just As Loony |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-pittsburgh-press-pirates-fatten-up-p/160798245/ |access-date=2024-12-12 |work=The Pittsburgh Press |pages=46}}</ref> The Pirate Parrot costume became three times heavier and its new outfit was a Pirates jersey and backwards baseball cap.<ref name=":1" /> In 1995, the Parrot was briefly paired with a secondary mascot, the [[Buccaneer (mascot)|Buccaneer]], who was quickly dropped after its actor was arrested for [[Nude swimming|skinny dipping]].<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Gentille |first1=Sean |last2=Biertempfel |first2=Rob |title=A dead penguin, a drug-running parrot and the dark past of Pittsburgh's mascots |url=https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/1882588/2020/06/25/a-dead-penguin-a-drug-running-parrot-and-the-dark-past-of-pittsburghs-mascots/ |access-date=2024-12-13 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref name="fuoco">Fuoco, Michael A. "Buccaneer swims clear of trouble with the law", The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, August 24, 1995, p. A16.</ref>

The Parrot has become a staple within the [[Pittsburgh]] region, often appearing at events and Pirates team functions. He often appears in ads for the team on television. He has been embraced more in Pittsburgh among older fans than [[List of National Football League mascots|Steely McBeam]] of the [[Pittsburgh Steelers]], and along with [[List of NHL mascots#Iceburgh|Iceburgh]] of the [[Pittsburgh Penguins]] serves as one of two bird-based mascots in Pittsburgh.  In May 1986 the Pirate Parrot joined in the Pittsburgh section of [[Hands Across America]].

The three Pittsburgh mascots have been known to "fight" each other. In 2008, a parody [[attack ad]] based on the then-upcoming [[2008 United States presidential election|Presidential election]] was made to "attack" the Parrot, due to the Pirates then-16 consecutive losing seasons while the Penguins went on to lose in the [[2008 Stanley Cup Finals|Stanley Cup Finals]] to the [[Detroit Red Wings]] earlier in the year.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRbvHK_MG0Y |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211212/XRbvHK_MG0Y| archive-date=2021-12-12 |url-status=live|title=Mascot Political Attack Ad - Iceburgh vs. Pirate Parrot #1|last=Benstonium.com|date=October 30, 2008|access-date=April 16, 2018|via=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}</ref> (The Pens would win the [[Stanley Cup]] the [[2009 Stanley Cup Finals|following year]].) The following year, all three mascots took part in a groundbreaking of an expansion of the [[National Aviary]] in Pittsburgh, with Steely McBeam tossing dirt at the Parrot's feet.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGn_Tig5LA0 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211212/dGn_Tig5LA0| archive-date=2021-12-12 |url-status=live|title=WPXI - Pittsburgh Mascots Misbehave: Steely McBeam Throws Dirt on Pirate Parrot At Aviary|last=WPXI See & Be Seen|date=April 23, 2009|access-date=April 16, 2018|via=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

In some cases, the Parrot has accompanied the Pirates on road trips if the game is in close proximity to Pittsburgh. For instance, the Parrot appeared at two games for the Pirates during a weekend [[Interleague play|interleague series]] against the [[Cleveland Indians]] in [[Cleveland]] in 2012, with the Parrot having friendly interactions with the Indians mascot, [[List of Major League Baseball mascots#Slider .28Cleveland.29|Slider]], and even assisting Slider in interfering with the Indians Hot Dog Race, much like what the Parrot does with the Great Pierogi Race.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://chronicle.northcoastnow.com/2012/06/17/indians-notes-travis-hafner-pleased-with-rehab-feels-good/|title = Elyria and Lorain County news &#124; Chronicle Telegram| work=Chronicle-Telegram | date=June 17, 2012 }}</ref>

According to the Parrot's biography on the Pirates official website, the Parrot hopes to eventually be inducted into the [[Mascot Hall of Fame]].<ref>{{cite news |title=The Pirate Parrot Profile|url=http://pittsburgh.pirates.mlb.com/pit/fan_forum/mascot_index.jsp|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100326190952/http://pittsburgh.pirates.mlb.com/pit/fan_forum/mascot_index.jsp|url-status=dead|archive-date=March 26, 2010|publisher= Pittsburgh Pirates|access-date=February 8, 2012}}</ref> As of 2015, he has yet to be listed as a candidate, much less inducted.<ref>{{cite news|title=Mascot Hall of Fame|url=http://www.mascothalloffame.com/virtual/past/|publisher=Mascot Hall of Fame|access-date=February 8, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120323055749/http://www.mascothalloffame.com/virtual/past/|archive-date=March 23, 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Cocaine scandal==
{{main|Pittsburgh drug trials}}
	
Kevin Koch (pronounced "coke") was the original Pirate Parrot for seven years after its debut in 1979, selected over 97 other applicants for his energetic nature and talented disco performance during his audition.<ref>{{Cite news |date=1979-10-05 |title=Parrot Doesn't Say Much, But It's a Cracker of a Job |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/pittsburgh-post-gazette-parrot-doesnt-s/160800611/ |access-date=2024-12-12 |work=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette |pages=17}}</ref><ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite news |date=1979-10-05 |title=Pirate Parrot Unmasked |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/pittsburgh-post-gazette-pirate-parrot-un/160800660/ |access-date=2024-12-12 |work=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette |pages=24}}</ref> Popular among fans for his lively dancing, Koch reportedly lost 17 pounds his first season due intense physical activity and sweating.<ref name=":2" /> 

In 1985, it was discovered that Koch had been high from [[cocaine]] during several games, and introduced players to cocaine by serving as middle man between drug dealers and players. Koch resigned that year and has expressed regret for doing cocaine and sharing it with the players.<ref>{{Cite news |date=1985-06-07 |title=Pirate Parrot resigns, cites personal reasons |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/pittsburgh-post-gazette-pirate-parrot-re/160800269/ |access-date=2024-12-12 |work=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette |pages=53}}</ref><ref name="post-gazette.com">{{cite news |last=O'Neil |first=Brian |date=August 29, 2010 |title=How baseball's drug connection surfaced with the Pirates |url=http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10241/1082969-148.stm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110804234344/https://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10241/1082969-148.stm |archive-date=4 August 2011 |access-date=February 8, 2012 |newspaper=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette}}</ref> Despite the scandal, the Pirates kept the Parrot.

== References ==
{{reflist}}
{{MLB mascots}}
{{Pittsburgh Pirates}}

[[Category:Major League Baseball team mascots]]
[[Category:Pittsburgh Pirates]]
[[Category:Mascots introduced in 1979]]
[[Category:Bird mascots]]
[[Category:Anthropomorphic parrots]]
[[Category:Fictional parrots]]
[[Category:Culture of Pittsburgh]]
[[Category:Fictional pirates]]