Rally Monkey (Oct. 11th story)

[Bapopik at AOL.COM]

Here's the "rally monkey" story that was on AP and Yahoo! and all over the
place, from October 11th:



Toy monkeys have replaced Mickey Mouse as the most popular plush celebrity in
town, where the <A HREF="http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/teams/ana/">Anaheim Angels</A> face the <A HREF="http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/teams/min/">Minnesota Twins</A> in the AL
championship series this weekend. The Rally Monkey has become the unofficial
team mascot. ``You kind of liken him to a baseball role player. He only comes
out when he's needed,'' Angels' entertainment manager Peter Bull said.
``Ultimately, the Rally Monkey is the belief that we can come back.'' The
Angels are owned by The Walt Disney Co., but none of the studio's creatures
ever became allied with the team. That paved the way for this monkey
business. Rally Monkey was born on June 6, 2000, on the stadium's giant video
monitor, when the Angels were playing San Francisco. Trailing in the sixth
inning, the Angels' staff played some video from the 1994 movie ``Ace
Ventura, Pet Detective'' that featured a monkey jumping up and down. Then
they flashed the words ``Rally Monkey'' on the screen. The crowd roared, the
team went on to win -- and the monkey became the mascot. Today, fans haul
Rally Monkeys to the stadium and keep them under wraps unless they are
needed. Then they pop up everywhere -- out of pockets, purses and from under
hats. Rally Monkey has become so popular, he's appeared on ESPN, had a banana
drink named after him and even spawned a Web site where devotees can post
messages. The monkey's success has even spawned knockoffs, including the <A HREF="http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/teams/ind/">
Indianapolis Colts</A>' ``Touchdown Monkey.'' Building on the appeal, the Angels
filmed ads featuring Katie, a white-faced capuchin monkey featured on NBC's
``Friends'' and in the movie ``Outbreak.'' Katie was replaced this year by
Abbie, a 6-year-old capuchin monkey who held the ``Rally Time'' sign during
the Angels' pivotal comeback in Game 3 of their first-round series against
the Yankees. The monkey went 27-11 this season in games when the Angels
trailed. The monkey's lifetime record is 57-41. ``He doesn't go beyond his
boundaries. He has a time and a place to come out, and he does when he's
needed,'' Bull said. The Angels' staff tried bringing a live monkey to Edison
Field. But the Angels lost, prompting pitcher <A HREF="http://bigleaguers.yahoo.com/mlbpa/players/5/5995/">Jarrod Washburn</A> to accuse
management of ``making a mockery of the game.'' Minnesota center fielder <A HREF="http://bigleaguers.yahoo.com/mlbpa/players/5/5884/">
Torii Hunter</A> even admitted Rally Monkey is a ``star.'' ``Every time we go to
their place, in the eighth or ninth inning, they always have a movie with him
in it,'' Hunter said. ``I forget I'm playing, I crack up. I turn and watch
the whole show.'' On the Net: http://www.rallymonkey.com