See the Phillie Phanatic's new 'evolved' look

Sam Ruland
York Daily Record

The Philadelphia Phillies won their first spring training home game against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday, but what happened on the field paled in comparison to the other news of the day — the Phillie Phanatic stepped out of the dugout with a new look for the 2020 season. 

Fans got a firsthand look at the Phanatic's new digs thanks to NBC Sports Philadelphia.

And don't worry, it's not a horribly drastic change. It's just more of an upgrade. The Phanatic got some new shoes, new socks, and perhap a nose job. His snout appears to be shorter, his tail is longer and blue, and his eyes are outlined with some bushier, more-defined eyebrows.

The Phanatic has been a staple of the team since his debut in 1978. The changes were to made to the mascot amid legal battles between the Phillies and the Phanatic’s creators, Bonnie Erickson and Wayde Harrison. The creators claim that they created the copyrighted character and hold the right to terminate the contract with the ball club, if the Phillies don't reach a new agreement by June 15, 2020.

In the lawsuit, the Phillies argue that the Phanatic was their idea, it was just Harrison/ Erickson who executed it.