In a scene that would have been humorous in a film like Bull Durham or Major League, a baseball mascot was attacked Thursday night at AutoZone Park. Rockey, the beloved mascot of the Memphis Redbirds, was performing atop the home team’s dugout along the third-base line in the bottom of the seventh inning when an overzealous fan grabbed his leg, pulled him off the dugout directly in front of fans in section 108 of the stadium and put the mascot in a headlock. The attacker had been asking Rockey to take a personal picture with a young girl. (The girl had returned to her seat closer to the concourse before the attack.) Rockey often poses for pictures with fans along the concourse and leftfield bluff. He rarely, though, interrupts performances atop the two dugouts for individual requests.
Another fan (sitting in section 110) calmly approached the attacker and proceeded to subdue him by placing him in a headlock. Rockey left the scene without aid, but didn’t return to the game. Great scene for a movie . . . horrifying to witness unscripted.
According to Redbirds management, the attacker was escorted from the stadium immediately, but no arrest was made. There were no injuries, and Rockey will be back in action tonight when Memphis hosts Round Rock in a double-header starting at 5:05 p.m.
