Creators of Original Phanatic Call Redesign ‘An Affront’

NEW YORK (AP) — The creators of the original Phillie Phanatic accused the Philadelphia Phillies of "an affront to our intellectual property rights and to Phillies fans everywhere" with the team's redesign of the 42-year-old mascot. The Phillies unveiled the redesign of the green mascot before Sunday's exhibition game against Pittsburgh. Philadelphia sued Harrison/Erickson, the New York company that created the Phanatic, last August in U.S. District Court in Manhattan. The team alleged Harrison/Erickson threatened to terminate the Phillies' rights to the Phanatic as of June 15 and "make the Phanatic a free agent" unless the team renegotiated its 1984 rights deals.