Episode 4 of “In The Front Row with Mike Vaccaro” features Dave Raymond, the original Phillie Phanatic who pioneered the field of sports mascots. The Newark, DE native tells us about growing up the son of Hall of Fame football coach Tubby Raymond who won 300 games and 3 National titles as head coach at the University of Delaware. After playing for his dad, Dave had an internship with the Phillies that would turn into 16 years performing as the Phanatic. Dave recalls his relationship with legendary Los Angeles Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda and how he helped the Phanatic become a world-wide phenomenon. Dave made a seamless transition from mascot actor to the world of character branding and mascot development, including a role in the creation of Philadelphia Flyers mascot Gritty. Raymond has recently become a keynote speaker and authored a book all based on the lessons learned from being the “Big Green Guy”.
