All is well in the life of the mascot from the Galapagos Islands once again. The Philadelphia Phillies and Harrison-Erickson, original creators of the Phillie Phanatic, had been battling in the courts for the last couple of season, leading to a new version of the Phillie Phanatic. After a judge's ruling and a settlement, it looks like the more familiar version of the Phillie Phanatic will be returning to Citizens Bank park.
Matt Breen of the Inqurier reports that the Phillies will be free to return to the original version of their furry friend:
The old Phillie Phanatic will soon be the new Phillie Phanatic as the Phillies will be permitted to again use the original version of their famous mascot after finalizing the settlement of a lawsuit on Monday.
A judge had previously ruled that the newer version of the Phanatic, created for the 2020 season, could be used by the Phillies, while Harrison-Erickson retained the rights to the original.
That wouldn't really work.
So it appears the two sides have come together. That would leave the Phillies to be able to undo some of the changes that have been made to the Phanatic costume.
Some of the notable changes includes some lighter-blue fur in the tail and above the eyes, stars behind the Phanatic's eyes, and more-defined wings, among others. While the changes left the crowd mostly feeling like it was the Phanatic, faithful Phillies fans would certainly notice a difference.
Are some of the changes improvements that the Phillies will wish to keep? That would be possible, too. But the original version will be free to report to Clearwater alongside pitchers and catchers in February.
