Portsmouth Rosie

Portsmouth Rosie was mascot of the Portsmouth Explorers in their first season in the Frontier League and was the league's first mascot. She was played by a local, Ryan Taylor, she set the standard for her future colleagues by being selected to perform at the league's 1993 inaugural all-star game in Chillicothe, OH. Rosie had a particular knack for hand-shaking and dance contests. John Fogerty's "Centerfield" was used as her theme music, and no visitor was able to leave the park without receiving some personal attention from her. She was beloved by the local media and fans alike, even capturing the front-page photo for the Portsmouth Daily Times coverage of the team's innaugural home-opener.

Rosie was not, however, without controversy. Although clearly a hen in both her name and adornments, she retained certain rooster-like characterists such as a comb and a waddle. This caused some of the more conservative members of the community to express their concern about the team's use of a "gender-bending mascot". It also created a long-running and popular reference for her in the local media as "The World's Only CHACOOSTER".

Rosie was chosen as the mascot for the Explorers for reasons of expediency. She was a character already created and owned by Mr. Jerry Walk, one of the team's original co-owners, for a previous venture. When Mr. Walk sold his share of the team at the conclusion of the 1993 season, he retained his ownership over Rosie. As a result, a new mascot had to be created for the next season.

Mr. Steve Sturgill, one of the original co-owners of the Explorers and the then president of the Frontier League, commissioned Mr. Taylor to have the Stagecraft costume company in Cincinnati, OH design a replacement for Rosie. Because of the Chacooster's popularity with the crowd he elected to retain a chicken character despite the team and the league's overt pioneer theme. This time, however, all of the female adornments were removed from the character and a contest was held within the community to select a name for the team's new (and unambigously-male) seven-foot rooster mascot.

During the home-opener of the 1994 season, Rickey the Rooster was unveiled for the first time to the public. Again, the mascot was played by Mr. Taylor and filled the front-page photo for the Portsmouth Daily Times coverage of the game. The rooster's name was selected as a tribute to Branch Rickey, local baseball hero and namesake of the team's ballpark. Rickey quickly captured the hearts of all of Rosie's fans. He picked up on all of Rosie's antics right where she left off and carried them on for the next two seasons until the team was sold to investors in Illinois and became the Springfield Capitals.

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