Pirate Parrot

Pirate Parrot
Team	Pittsburgh Pirates
Description	Large, green parrot
First seen	1979
Website	Official Website

The Pirate Parrot is a costumed mascot of the Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball. He was introduced in 1979 in response to the popularity of the Phillie Phanatic introduced one year earlier, as the Pirates and Philadelphia Phillies had a fierce intrastate rivalry at the time.

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 Parrot debuted on April 1, 1979 when he "hatched" at Three Rivers Stadium. That year, the "We Are Family" Bucs went on to win the World Series, with the Parrot serving as somewhat of a cheerleader to the crowd along the way.

His initial appearance bore more resemblance to The San Diego Chicken, being thinner and "meaner". He wore more pirate-related items such as a captain's hat and vest, and often waved a Jolly Roger around on a flag pole. Shortly before the Pittsburgh drug trials of 1985 (see below), the Parrot was redesigned to his current appearance, gaining weight and making him more goofy-looking in order for him to appeal to children more. In addition, he dropped the traditional pirate garb in favor of wearing a Pirates jersey and backwards baseball cap.

...
Wikipedia