Rally Monkey

The Rally Monkey is an unofficial mascot of the Los Angeles Angels. It was first introduced, quite unwittingly, on June 6, 2000, when the team was still called the Anaheim Angels. The team's video crew played a clip from the movie Ace Ventura: Pet Detective on the scoreboard at Angels Stadium that featured a monkey jumping up and down, with the name "Rally Monkey" superimposed. It was a way to get the fans roused up to encourage the team to mount a late-game comeback. It worked magnificently as the Angels scored twice in the bottom of the 9th to defeat the San Francisco Giants, 6-5.

The clip became a regular feature after that and the concept of the Rally Monkey rose to national prominence when the Angels won the first World Series in their history in 2002. Coincidentally, they defeated the Giants in that seven-game series. By then, fans were carrying plush toys meant to represent the Monkey and waving them on appropriate occasions. The Monkey remains a part of team lore and resurfaces on occasion.

The team also has an annual Rally Monkey themed giveaway at a game.