Once upon a time, in the thick trees of Spencer Butte, a furry green bear named Sluggo was born. After finding an abandoned pair of binoculars one day, Sluggo found himself intrigued by something happening in the city sprawled below him...baseball.

But not just any baseball - Emeralds Baseball!

Sluggo loved to sit up on the butte and watch the Emeralds STOMP their competition at Civic Stadium. He cheered as the Ems hit home runs over the fence, turned double plays and made diving catches in the outfield.

"One of these days, I'm going to play for the Emeralds", thought the little green fur ball.

But there were two issues: 1) None of the other players had green hair all over their body and 2) Sluggo wasn't all that athletic in the first place.

"I would stick out like a sore thumb if I were on the team," Sluggo thought to himself while eating a hot dog. "Maybe I could do something else for them?"

He had heard of other forest creatures working for teams as a mascot.

"Hmmm, a mascot...that would be perfect," Sluggo thought! "They get to have more fun than the players anyway: play practical jokes on the opposing team and umpires, drive an ATV around the ballpark, and perform in front of the whole stadium! Plus, I would be able to live at the ballpark and eat as many hot dogs as I wanted! How awesome is that?! There, it's decided. I will be the new mascot for the Eugene Emeralds!"

Well...that's Sluggo's story...and he's sticking to it! Become his friend on Facebook, follow him on Twitter or check out his Instagram to catch all of his adventures throughout the entire year!

The Eugene Emeralds are happy to have Sluggo appear at community events throughout the year.

Requests for appearances should be sent at least three (3) weeks prior to the event date. To submit a request, please contact Anne Culhane at anne@emeraldsbaseball.com or call (541) 342-5367. Please understand that the Ems cannot fulfill every request we receive.