The Yankees are known for their adherence to tradition, their classy aesthetics, buttoned-up ways and first-rate product. Yankee Stadium lacks the frills and family-friendly entertainment commonly found in other MLB ballparks. The public address announcer isn’t campy. The seventh-inning stretch doesn’t feature races on the field or anything like that. A cartoonish mascot would feel out of place.
The Yankees’ formal manner stands in contrast to the team’s latest good-luck charm, and perhaps that is why the image of the team rallying around Bronxie the Turtle, Néstor Cortes Jr.’s new pet, is so endearing. Bronxie the turtle has become the team mascot that the Yankees desperately needed.