The Phillie Phanatic May Become a Free Agent

Say it ain't so! The Phillie Phanatic may be on the hunt for a new job soon and leaving his beloved Philadelphia Phillies behind. Could this actually be happening? The Phanatic has been cheering on Philadelphia's baseball team since 1978, but his days may be limited.

A lawsuit has been filed by the Philillies against the company the team hired to create the mascot. According to ESPN, "...Phillies alleged that the firm they hired to help create the Phanatic, Harrison/Erickson Inc., is trying to renege on an agreement the sides made more than 30 years ago..."

What would this mean for the beloved furry mascot? He could become a free agent and get scooped up by another team.

How could this be happening? Well, back in 1984 the baseball team paid the company, Harrison/Erickson Inc., $215,000 to own the rights to the Phanatic indefinitely. Fast-forward to now, the company has been trying to nullify the agreement for the past year. Their argument states that they believe that they created a "copyrighted character."

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Accrording to the team, Harrison/Erickson Inc. has threatened them to renegotiate the original agreement and pay the company millions by June 2020.

The lawsuit asks the New York Court to, "put an immediate end to H/E's effort to hold up The Phillies with its threats of legal action and to make the Phanatic a free agent..."

Source: ESPN