Running a minor league baseball team’s social media requires some serious creativity, particularly during the offseason (not to mention in the midst of a Major League Baseball lockout). The offseason content drought is very real, and trying to drum up some excitement for the upcoming season takes some extra effort.
For the Portland Pickles, a collegiate wood bat summer league team, they decided to turn their mascot, Dillon, loose for a social media takeover that almost immediately went off the rails when Dillon posted a selfie that, while intended to be him giving fans a thumbs up, looked like he was showing them a very different part of his mascot anatomy.
new phone who dis pic.twitter.com/57JBM6oQbL
— Portland Pickles (@picklesbaseball) January 12, 2022
In a highly unfortunate photo crop, it certainly looks like we are staring at a fuzzy, green penis, which is immediately what everyone else jumped to in the replies, which were rather hilarious.
@BlackTinka1 @TiffannieRenee This is the wildest thing i have ever seen bruh lol
— Flatbush147 (@patrickelubin) January 12, 2022
Jeez, Dillon…
— 1080 The FAN (@1080TheFAN) January 12, 2022
Yooo?
— eloy has risen (@TheHyperRooster) January 12, 2022
HR here. Dillon, please meet me in my office
— Shortest Stop (@ShortestStop) January 12, 2022
— Michael Schwab (@michaelschwab13) January 12, 2022
— Jenny Hansson (@jennyhKOIN) January 12, 2022
— Sourdeath Sam (@SourdeathSam) January 12, 2022
— Smilodon (@Smilodon48) January 12, 2022
It took less than 15 minutes for someone on the social team to see all of the replies and realize they had made a grave mistake, and the Pickles ended the mascot takeover abruptly with an apology from Dillon, who was just trying to give a thumbs up.
We have ended our mascot takeover. It’s come to our attention that this photo can be misinterpreted as a disturbing image. Dillon would like to go on record and say that he was trying to give his fans a thumbs up. https://t.co/5VUgkhieq2
— Portland Pickles (@picklesbaseball) January 12, 2022
As always, the lesson is to look carefully at pictures before you post them to your company’s social account because sometimes you might have a photo that makes it look like your mascot is exposing himself to everyone.