Dinger (mascot)

Dinger is the mascot of the Colorado Rockies. He is a purple triceratops. In January 1994 the Rockies claimed to have found a large egg at the construction site for their new ballpark, Coors Field (there was some factual basis to this, as dinosaur bones had indeed been found in the area previously. Before the April 16th game between the Rockies and the Montreal Expos the egg hatched and out came Dinger.

Dinger is purple in homage to the area's purple mountain majesty.

In a bizarre incident on April 10, 2023, he was attacked and tackled by an apparently drunk fan while going about his mascot business of dancing on the dugout roof during a Rockies game. He was apparently unhurt, but local police did not take kindly to the assault, asking for other fans' help in identifying the perpetrator, who was filmed on social media, and promising a reward.

Further Reading

• William Porter: "What to make of Dinger, our prehistoric purple pal?", The Denver Post, October 27, 2007. [1]
• Jaylon Thompson (USA Today): "Denver police seek public's help in identifying suspect who attacked Rockies mascot Dinger", Yahoo! News, April 14, 2023. [2]