Angels Try Bear Mascots to Lure Kids, Lead Cheer

These bears are cute, they’re cuddly, but more than that, they’re supposed to pack the kids in at California Angel games.

Temporarily named Big Bear and Little Bear, the Angels’ first-ever mascots are supposed to present baseball as good family entertainment and help the team’s sagging ticket sales.

Joseph Schrier, vice president of marketing for the team, said the mascots will be called upon to “stir enthusiasm” during Angel games. “They’re going to be like cheerleaders.”

The bears, he said, will be instrumental in starting “the wave” and a new Angel cheer called “the Halo.” For that cheer, fans will be asked to stick their arms in the air, move them in a circular motion and shout “Halo!” It’s the team’s angelic version of the Atlanta Braves’ fans controversial “Tomahawk Chop.”

Schrier said the bears will greet children as they come through the stadium gates and then mingle among the crowd during the games.

But, he said, “in no way would they interfere with the game.”

On Thursday, the bear mascots stomped around the stadium steps trying to get used to the brown, furry outfits.

“Their visibility and mobility were great,” Schrier reported.

The team is expected to formally unveil the mascots at a press conference next week.

Angel officials chose the bear as their mascot because it is represented on the state’s flag and because research has shown them to be “among the most popular” critters for children, Schrier said.

The Angel bears will be named by a contest later in the season.