Wally The Green Monster - Facts About Wally

Facts About Wally

• On Kid's Opening Day in 1997, Wally appeared on the field to greet younger fans at Fenway Park and threw the ceremonial first pitch.

• Wally plush toys, hats, baseballs, bats and pennants have been given out to young fans at home games.

• Dustin Pedroia "borrowed" the phrase "Laser-Show" from a prior conversation with Wally in the batting cage. Pedroia was off hitting "Cage Bombs" at the Spring Training facility in Ft Myers when Wally dropped the infamous "laser-show" line referring to Pedroia's hitting. Pedroia liked the phrase so much he later used it in a press conference with Boston media.

• Remy has discussed Wally's fictitious adventures during Red Sox broadcasts since 2002. During that time, Remy has had a miniature Wally doll sitting in a miniature white Adirondack chair in front of him in the booth, which has been known to sit upside down during rallies. Remy has written five books, all published by Mascot Books,Hello Wally, Coast to Coast with Wally the Green Monster, 'A Season with Wally the Green Monster, Wally the Green Monster and his World Tour, and Wally the Green Monster and His Journey Through Red Sox Nation! A Sixth Book was added to the Wally Collection in 2012 in honor of the Fenway 100 Celebration, Wally the Green Monster and His Journey Through Time written by current Red Sox Second Baseman, Dustin Pedroia.

• Wally makes appearances at many of the charities and organizations in which the Red Sox are involved, particularly the Jimmy Fund and the Boys and Girls Club of America.

• David "Big Papi" Ortiz came to Boston and had a break out year in 2003 with the Red Sox. Ron Jackson was credited with helping turn David into the slugger he is today, but it was actually Wally telling Ortiz about his secret for hitting homers. The Trademark Papi Spit Into the Batting Gloves was born.

• Wally's Build-A-Bear Workshop isn't at Fenway Park, but at the Build-A-Bear store in the Faneuil Hall Marketplace. Wally is the first mascot to have a year-round store.

• Wally over the years has had a regular cast of characters join him at Fenway Park: The Infamous "Lefty" and "Righty" - Retired, Momma Monster, Wally's Mother who appears on Mother's Day (much to Youk's delight) and Various Boston Pro/Collegiate Mascots from around the City.

• Wally has appeared in two of ESPN's "This is SportsCenter" commercials. In the first he was operating the TelePrompTer while ESPN anchors Scott Van Pelt and Rich Eisen struggled to read what he had typed. In the second, Red Sox player David Ortiz put on a New York Yankees hat to break it in for Jorge Posada when Wally, walking by, became visibly shocked into dropping his papers and dismissing Ortiz's attempts to explain.

• Wally is the ONLY Mascot to have a Dunkin Donuts Coolatta Drink named after him. Blue Raspberry and Orange Coolatta blended together makes the "Wally Coolatta." The combination creates a deep green color identical to Wally's well known green hue (and is actually very tasty).

• Wally once pitched in a Wiffleball Game against a bunch of Yankees fans. He tied Roger Clemens' strikeout record of 20 in a game using nothing but the Knuckleball Tim Wakefield taught him. The game was only 7 innings long and the last batter walked off the field in shame before he was able to be struck out to make it 21.

• Wally was the 2011 All Star Game Mascot Home Run Derby Champion, and looks to repeat despite T.C. Bear and Raymond's claims to having the 2012 title already in the bag.

• Wally is an exceptional baseball player, but a little known fact is that Wally can actually Ice Skate also. Fans at Frozen Fenway 2012 got to see Wally on Ice for the First Time in front of a crowd.

• Wally was named #5 Mascot in ALL of Sports by The New York Post in April 2012.