Mascots #M-19 Pirate Parrot - Pittsburgh Pirates

Mascot: Pirate Parrot (From the Reds' Website) (Wikipedia)

Card Number: M-19 (Trading Card Database)

Team: Pittsburgh Pirates

Division: National League Central
Introduced: 1979
Social Media Handles: (Twitter) (Instagram)

PITTSBURGH, PA - APRIL 09: Pittsburgh Pirates mascot, the Pirate Parrot, waves the Jolly Roger flag on the mound after an MLB game between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Atlanta Braves on April 09, 2017 at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, PA. Pittsburgh won the game 6-5, coming back twice to beat the Braves in 10 innings. Pittsburgh won the 3-game series against Atlanta, their first sweep against the Braves since 1994. (Photo by Shelley Lipton/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Photo Date: April 9, 2017

Photographer: Shelley Lipton/Icon Sportswire (Website) (Twitter)

Of note, the Pirate Parrot was hatched in 1979, the year of the "We Are Family" World Champion Pirates.

This is the Pirate Parrot's 10th appearance as a card in the Opening Day set. Unlike some of the other mascots, his name was used on all of them instead of the generic "Team Mascot" designation.

In lieu of a card in the 2008 set, mascots were given a tattoo insert. Teams with no mascot had a logo tattoo.

In 2014, 2016 and 2017, collectors also had the chance to pull a Pirate Parrot Autograph card. Looks like he changed his signature up a little between 2014 and 2016.

Mascots #M-5 Gapper - Cincinnati Reds

With four Reds mascots in the set, I better get started on them!

Mascot: Gapper (From the Reds' Website)

Card Number: M-5 (Trading Card Database)

Team: Cincinnati Reds

Division: National League Central
Introduced: Winter 2002 (for 2003 season)
Social Media Handles: None of the four mascots have Twitter

CINCINNATI, OH - MAY 25: Cincinnati Reds mascot Gapper performs before the game against the Chicago Cubs at Great American Ball Park on May 25, 2013 in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Reds won 5-2. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)

Another mascot and another photo that is several years old. This one goes all the way back to 2013!

Photo Date: May 25, 2013

Photographer: Joe Robbins (Twitter)

Gapper was part of the 2007 Opening Day base set before Topps made the Mascots a separate insert set. Once the did that in 2010, he went on a run until 2015. For some reason, only Mr. Red represented the Reds in 2016 and 2017.

Sharp eyes may have noticed the photo is a rehash of the one used in the 2014 set.

Topps also used it in 2015 as part of a 5-card All-Star Fan Fest set that featured all of the Reds mascots.

Mascots #M-1 Sluggerrr - Kansas City Royals

Mascot: Sluggerrr (From the Royals' Website)

Card Number: M-1 (Trading Card Database)

Team: Kansas City Royals

Division: American League Central
Introduced: 1996
Social Media Handles: (Twitter)

April 22, 2014: Kansas City Royals mascot Slugger during the MLB American League game between the Minnesota Twins and the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by William Purnell/Icon Sportswire/Corbis via Getty Images)

This photo actual took me quit a bit to find. And by that, I mean a few whole extra minutes. As you may have noticed from the caption, the mascot's name is spelled without the two extra R's at the end. A few fruitless 'Sluggerrr" searches made the lightbulb go off. Plus, I had to go all the way back to 2014 to find this one!

Photo Date: April 22, 2014

Photographer: William Purnell/Icon Sportswire (Website) I couldn't find a website for Purnell so that link goes to Sportswire.

The mascots have been appearing as an insert in Opening Day since 2010. Not every team has a mascot and not every team with a mascot gets a card. Weird, I know. I assume it is some kind of licensing issue. And even weirder, in the past, not every mascot had it's name on the card. Again, must be some legal reason.

As you can see by the cards below, Sluggerrr has appeared in every incarnation of the insert set thus far, but this is the first year he got to use his own name!

  

In the 2007 Opening Day set, mascots were included as part of the regular base set. Note the standard spelling of "Slugger" on this card.