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The Rally Monkey is the unofficial mascot for the Los Angeles Angels Major League Baseball team.
The video clip proved to be so popular that the team hired Katie, a white-haired capuchin monkey who previously appeared as Marcel in the television sitcom ''
Introduction
The character debuted on June 6, 2000, when the Angels were trailing the San Francisco Giants 5–4 in the bottom of the ninth inning. Two video board operators, Dean Fraulino and Jaysen Humes, took a clip of a monkey jumping around from the 1994Jim Carrey
James Eugene Carrey (; born January 17, 1962) is a Canadian-American actor, comedian and artist. Known for his energetic slapstick performances, Carrey first gained recognition in 1990, after landing a role in the American sketch comedy te ...
movie comedy '' Ace Ventura: Pet Detective'', and superimposed the words "RALLY MONKEY!" on top of it. The Angels scored two runs and won the game.
Growing popularity
The video clip proved to be so popular that the team hired Katie, a white-haired capuchin monkey who previously appeared as Marcel in the television sitcom ''Friends
''Friends'' is an American television sitcom created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, which aired on NBC from September 22, 1994, to May 6, 2004, lasting ten seasons. With an ensemble cast starring Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa ...
'', to star in original clips for later games. When seen, she bounces to the House of Pain song " Jump Around" and sometimes holds a sign proclaiming that it is "RALLY TIME!"
The rally monkey came to national and world-wide attention during the Angels' appearance in the 2002 World Series
The 2002 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB)'s 2002 season. The 98th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff between the American League (AL) champion Anaheim Angels and the National Leag ...
, again against the San Francisco Giants. In the sixth game, the Angels were playing at home, but were trailing the series 3-2 and facing elimination. They were down 5-0 as the game entered the bottom of the seventh inning. Amid fervid rally-monkey themed fan support, the Angels proceeded to score six unanswered runs over the next two innings, winning the game and turning the momentum of the series for good (they went on to clinch the championship in game 7).
In 2009, the Angels once again reached the post-season, sparking a renewal of the rally monkey's popularity.
Cultural references
Additional videos featuring the Rally Monkey show her edited into popular films and TV shows such as '' The Brady Bunch Movie'', ''Jurassic Park
''Jurassic Park'', later also referred to as ''Jurassic World'', is an American science fiction media franchise created by Michael Crichton and centered on a disastrous attempt to create a theme park of cloned dinosaurs. It began in 1990 when ...
'', '' Field of Dreams'', ''Star Trek
''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the eponymous 1960s television series and quickly became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. The franchise has expanded into vari ...
'', ''Risky Business
''Risky Business'' is a 1983 American teen comedy-drama film written and directed by Paul Brickman (in his directorial debut) and starring Tom Cruise and Rebecca De Mornay. Best known as Cruise's breakout film, ''Risky Business'' was a critical ...
'', '' WarGames'', and '' Animal House''. The Angels started selling plush monkeys that fans bring to games.
ESPN did a ''SportsCenter
''SportsCenter'' (SC) is a daily sports news television show, television program that serves as the flagship program and brand of United States, American cable television, cable and satellite television television network, network ESPN. The show ...
'' commercial in which it showed one of the executives having to make "budget cuts," leading to the release of the monkey. The monkey pleaded by raising the "It's Rally Time" sign.
In one installment of the popular comic strip '' Get Fuzzy'', the strip's protagonist, Bucky Katt, attempts to travel to Anaheim to eat the Rally Monkey after seeing it on television, as part of a running gag focused on Bucky's irrational desire to eat a monkey.
See also
* Rally Squirrel * Rat trickReferences
{{Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim Anaheim Angels Capuchin monkeys Los Angeles Angels Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim Major League Baseball team mascots Primate mascots 2000 introductions