PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The Phillie Phanatic is known for giving high-fives, hugs and kisses with his giant schnoz — but that doesn't agree with 2020's social distancing guidelines.
"It's so unfortunate that we don't have that human interaction, and it's really what makes the Phanatic so special," said Tom Burgoyne, "best friend" of the Phillie Phanatic.
Although there's no baseball right now, the affable mascot has found a way to interact with his fans during the coronavirus crisis: Storytime with the Phillie Phanatic.
Each Wednesday at 7 p.m. on Instagram Live, the Phanatic will read a Phillies-centric story.
"He misses all the fans," Burgoyne said. "I talk to the Phanatic every day and he really misses everybody. He misses baseball, and we thought, 'Hey, this really a great message the Phanatic can still put out there.' "
The idea stemmed from an online event recently held by the Phillies, called Take Your Kid to Work Day. One of the activities included a Zoom chat with Phillies radio broadcaster Scott Franzke, who read one of the Phanatic's many children's books.
So, the Phils thought it would be a perfect program to roll out for the public.
"He has his Phanatic About Reading program," said Burgoyne. "He's usually going out and visiting all the schools and teaching the kids and showing the kids how much fun it is to read. We thought, well, this might be the next best thing."
Even better: Each week will feature a celebrity guest reader. Manager Joe Girardi and his wife, Kim, joined the first storytime installment on April 29. As they read from their home, the Phanatic acted out the story from his remote location.
According to Burgoyne, the Phanatic is not too tech-savvy, so his mother, Phoebe Phanatic, helps him set up all of his remote equipment. Of course, if that doesn't work, they'll have Bryce Harper to lend a hand.
Harper will be the Phanatic's storytime guest on Wednesday, May 6.
"We're trying to keep our kids entertained and also have a positive message," Burgoyne added. "Certainly reading is fun. It's a great message. And this is really just kind of a fun way to try to connect."
