MEET THE CREW!
Welcome to the nesting page of everyone’s favorite birds, Spikes and Mittsy, and the best mascot team in all of MiLB!
As the official mascots of the Rochester Red Wings, Spikes and Mittsy are proud to represent the iconic franchise and provide wholesome and high-energy entertainment to our fans. Look out for them bouncing around the ballpark, adding extra fun to on-field activities, or dazzling with their dance moves during our amazing fireworks shows at Innovative Field. When you see them, feel free to give a hug, handshake, or high five … that’s how Spikes and Mittsy get their energy!
Joined by Mac and Rally Gorilla in recent seasons, the Red Wings’ mascot team is here to welcome all with open arms and help create lifelong memories with you and your loved ones.
If you’re not able to catch Spikes and Mittsy during the game, don’t worry - you can see them at the Main Gates afterward, where they love to pose for photos and put their autographs on just about anything (foreheads by guardian permission only). And, after Sunday games, kids can run the bases with their favorite birds!
If you’d like to request Spikes and Mittsy for an outside event, click here!
SPIKES
Strong, silly, and fantastically entertaining, there’s never a dull moment with Spikes!
Also inaccurately known as “Spike”, “redbird”, “big bird”, “hey you”, “hey mascot”, “hey you mascot hey wait wait wait come here come take a picture with us”, and a variety of other misnomers, Spikes has delighted more than 12 million fans since joining the Red Wings in 1996. Part athlete, part stuffed animal, and full goofball, he takes immense pride in putting on a great show at Innovative Field.
If you’ve seen him, you know that Spikes never stops moving, with energy levels that match any mascot on the planet. When he’s not dishing out record numbers of high fives and autographs at the ballpark, you’ll probably run into him at one of the many appearances he makes to help support the community! From rappelling down Kodak Tower to visiting local t-ball games, Spikes will do just about anything to help bring joy to the people of Rochester.
We caught up with him and asked for a few fun facts about the beloved bird:
Hatched: November 7th, 1996
MiLB Debut: April 11, 1997 (Frontier/ Innovative Field Opening Day)
Height: 6’5” with hat
Weight: 8,222 feathers
Throws: Very well righty and not so well lefty
Bats: BRUCE?!? IS BRUCE HERE?!? WHERE’S BRUCE?!?!?
Likes: dancing, high fives, sunshine, signing autographs, exercise, electrolytes, reading, fireworks
Loves: the Red Wings, our fans, baseball, making people smile
Dislikes: rain delays, mean people, missing the playoffs, the (dreaded) Syracuse Mets
Favorite foods: sunflower seeds, blueberries, bananas, spinach, broccoli, Plates, Zweigle’s, worms
Favorite exercises: push ups (even though my beak gets in the way), pull ups, jump rope, dancing, yoga
Favorite colors: gamboge, cerulean, burlywood, … jk obviously my favorites are red and yellow but every color is beautiful (and those are real colors)
Favorite books: How Spikes Became a Red Wing by Naomi Silver, Bottom of the 33rd by Dan Barry
Favorite songs: Here Come the Red Wings by Fred Costello, Three Little Birds by Bob Marley and the Wailers
Favorite quotes: “Let’s have some FUN!” - Dan Mason
“Go Wings!” - everyone
MITTSY
Gentle enough to comfort even the smallest baby, yet powerful enough to shatter boards in martial arts demonstrations, Mittsy can do it all!
(Mittsy, not Misty … Mittsy, not Misty … Mittsy, not Misty … please repeat as many times as necessary)
The kindest, cutest, most loveable bird in baseball, Mittsy has sweetened the Red Wings experience for millions of fans since joining the team in 2003. Fans of all ages are empowered by her cheerful yet resilient attitude, and she loves using her energy to boost the fun and happiness at various events throughout Rochester.
In addition to her role as entertainer extraordinaire, one of Mittsy’s top priorities is using her presence at Innovative Field and in the community to champion the efforts, impact, and importance of girls and women in sports. Keep your eyes open for this feathery friend who fawns over fostering female fortitude in every form.
The loveliest bird in all the land graciously answered a few questions for us:
Hatched: June 26th, 2003
MiLB Debut: June 26th, 2003 (right into the action!)
Height: 5’10” on a good day
Weight: 1,885 mini ice cream helmets
Throws: Love
Bats: Bruce’s favorite thing!
Likes: dancing, hugs, sunshine, signing autographs, comic books, superheroes, flowers, rainbow sprinkles
Loves: the Red Wings, our fans, baseball, women in sports
Dislikes: rain delays, people pulling my ponytail, people picking me up, the (dreaded) Syracuse Mets
Favorite foods: bird seed, apples, carrots, Mama Mittsy’s pizza, chocolate and vanilla twist ice cream with rainbow sprinkles, worms
Favorite exercises: long walks, dancing, rock climbing
Favorite colors: Yellow, red, pink, rainbow (I know that’s not a color but yes it is)
Favorite books: How Mittsy Became a Red Wing (in progress!), Dialed In by Dr. Dana Sinclair
Favorite songs: Here Come the Red Wings by Fred Costello, Wind Beneath My Wings by Bette Midler
Favorite quotes: “It is rewarding to have broken through in a career that is traditionally men. What could make it more obvious that women are just as capable as men than to make it in the sports industry?” - Naomi Silver
“Go Wings!” - everyone
MAC
This guy may resemble another well-known, can-dwelling fuzzball, but he has a personality all his own … here’s Mac!
After debuting the wildly popular Rochester Plates moniker in 2017, then establishing it as a regular theme throughout 2018, GM Dan Mason, along with Spikes and Mittsy, realized that this new identity needed its own mascot.
Searching high and low around Rochester, they found Mac hanging around the dumpsters behind a local garbage plate hotspot and invited him back to the ballpark. Once Mac saw how delicious the Plates’ jerseys looked, he was hooked. He made his first public appearance at the team’s annual Baseball’s Back Bash on March 29th, 2019, and hasn’t missed a Plates game since.
While Mac spends most of his time wandering around Rochester looking for extra toppings, this season you can find him at Innovative Field on select Thursday night games when the team plays as the mighty Plates: April 18th, June 13th, August 1st, August 15th, September 5th, and September 19th.
Don’t forget - Thursday Nights are for the Plates!
RALLY GORILLA
If the Red Wings find themselves down a couple runs going into the bottom of the 9th, Manager Matt LeCroy and Hitting Coach Brian Daubach know just who to call … Rally Gorilla!!!!!!!
In the middle of the 2022 season, the team hit a mind-boggling and unfortunately historic 19-game losing streak. Everyone in the organization was brainstorming ideas to get back to their winning ways, desperate for something, or someone, to help change the energy and turn the tides. Any and all ideas were on the table.
Suddenly, Spikes and Mittsy remembered an old friend, who matched their enthusiasm for baseball and was known to be a bit of a good luck charm. They made a quick call on the banana phone, and the frenzied grunts on the other end of the peel told them all they needed to know; Rally Gorilla was in. He made his first appearance with the team on August 10th, 2022.
While the Red Wings came up just short again that night, the losing streak had lost its steam - they won the next day, mercifully ending the slide and cementing Rally Gorilla’s place among the mascots.
Now, Rally Gorilla and his trusty Zookeeper stay on call for when the Wings need a boost in the bottom of the 9th. The energy in the crowd when they make their entrance is absolutely electric!