Billy the Marlin

Billy the Marlin is the mascot of the Miami Marlins, having previously served in the same capacity when the team was known as the "Florida Marlins" and was introduced to fans in February of 1993, before the expansion team played its first game. Billy is an eight-foot tall marlin fish with a huge bill - hence his name. The name also accidentally plays on that of famous manager Billy Martin, but this is purely coincidental as the manager has absolutely no connection with the team.

Just like the franchise he encourages, Billy has been involved in a number of controversies over the years. Before the Marlins' home opener in 1997, a skydiver attempting to parachute into Pro Player Stadium in costume accidentally lost the character's head in the attempt; thinking quickly, he landed outside the stadium, so that another person dressed as the mascot could enter the ballpark as if nothing had happened. The head was later recovered near the Florida Turnpike. In another incident, a fan sued the Marlins for $250,000 when he claimed that a tee-shirt launched by Billy into the stands hit him in the eye, temporarily knocking him unconscious; the plaintiff lost the case when he admitted in court that his injuries could have been caused by an errant elbow from another fan during the scramble for the shirt. On October 28, 2002, the Marlins courted more bad publicity when they fired John Routh, the man who had portrayed the mascot since its inception, as a cost-cutting measure; Routh's estimated salary of $80,000 was very much in line with industry standards, but the Marlins thought otherwise.

Billy the Marlin went on the road in September of 2004 when the Marlins were temporarily displaced to U.S. Cellular Field in Chicago, IL for a series against the Montreal Expos due to the threat of Hurricane Ivan. He followed the team in its move from the suburbs to downtown Miami, FL in 2012. He has been featured on his own baseball card a number of times.