David Raymond, of Avondale, artfully played the popular mascot Phillie Phanatic during the first 16 out of the 45 years of its existence, writes Terry Lefton for the Philadelphia Business Journal. 

Raymond is quick to credit his father, University of Delaware Hall of Fame football coach Tubby Raymond, for inspiring some of the antics where the furry green character redefined sports mascots. 

Raymond idolized his father. He wanted to follow in his footsteps and start coaching after having played on his Blue Hens team. However, his father had different ideas. But first, he wanted his son to try something different. So, he arranged a Phillies internship for him. 

A few years later, Raymond put the Phanatic suit on for the first time. He recalls former Phillies President Bill Giles as the one who developed the Phanatic in an attempt to attract non-baseball fans. 

“Bill had a Muppetesque character in mind,” said Raymond. 

Phanatic became a huge hit. Raymond created a full personality for the mascot with its own schtick and an absolute mastery of nonverbal communication. 

After 16 years, Raymond turned his Phanatics experience into Raymond Entertainment Group, which designs and develops mascots. 

Read more about David Raymond being the Phillie Phanatic in the Philadelphia Business Journal. 

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Editor’s Note: This post first appeared on PHILADELPHIA Today in February 2024