A phanatical lawsuit takes Philadelphia Phillies by storm

NARRATOR: In the criminal justice system the people are represented by two separate yet equally important groups, the police who investigate crime and the district attorneys who prosecute the offenders.

These are their stories.

Today we will be looking into the case of the Philadelphia Phillies and the Phillie Phanatic.

You may know the latter from his exploits mimicking Lady Gaga, buying into the Disney propaganda machine or celebrating Irish heritage. Whether he's the best Philadelphia mascot is still up for debate.

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Created in a collaboration between the Phillies and Harrison/Erickson Incorporated, the two sides have reached a stalemate in terms of sharing the profits of the beloved character. In 1984, an agreement was reached that gave the Phillies the rights to the costume “forever,” but according to Delaware Online, H/E now wants to terminate that contract to renegotiate a better one. The Phillies with a suit claiming unjust enrichment and a breach of good faith.

Apparently, forever doesn’t mean forever if money is involved. Someone must’ve told my ex-wife that.

H/E further stated that the Phanatic could become a “free agent” and another team could theoretically purchase the mascot’s rights unless money exchanges (furry green) hands. Look for the Baltimore Orioles or Detroit Tigers to try to add the Phanatic to their pitching rotation.

This is not the first time that the two sides have engaged in a legal battle. Ultimately settling out of court, H/E and the Phillies had trouble with promotional and merchandising items in 1979. It took 40 years, but we’re here once again.

Please join us next week for an in-depth look at the divorce proceedings of Mr. and Mrs. Met.