Wally the Green Monster

Lore & Background

In 1996, Larry Cancro, the chief of marketing for the Red Sox, had the idea to create a mascot to make Fenway Park more appealing to children. The mascot was designed to be a green monster, and given the backstory that he had been living in the Green Monster for years, and had finally come out. Writer Rick Dunfey was hired to write The Legend of Wally the Green Monster, a children's book about the mascot, and decided to name him Wally in reference to the wall. The book was published under the pen name Maxwell M. Carey. On April 13, 1997, Wally was revealed to the public on 'Kids Opening Day' in Fenway Park, and copies of Dunfey's book were distributed for free. While popular among children, Wally was booed early on by adults after his release, due to fans disliking his cartoonish appearance and break with tradition, but has since become accepted as a mascot. From 2000 to 2017, Wally was played by Chris Bergstrom, who was later promoted to director of fan and youth engagement for the Red Sox. In 2010, the Red Sox partnered with Dunkin' Donuts to release the Wally the Green Monster Coolatta, a frozen slush drink available in New England shops. Throughout his history, Wally went through a number of redesigns, including a more muscular form in 2004 and having a beard in 2013, due to many other Red Sox players having beards. In 2016, the Red Sox introduced Tessie, another mascot designed to be the younger sister of Wally, named after the song 'Tessie' sung by the Royal Rooters. In 2015, the mascot costume was reported as missing, leading the Boston Police to put out a bulletin looking for Wally. The incident was later revealed to be a misunderstanding; a Red Sox employee had taken the costume for scheduled appearances and had decided to wear it around Boston. The employee was not charged. On April 2, 2017, the Red Sox premiered Wally's Opening Day, a 30-minute animated special about Wally preparing Fenway Park, for the 20th anniversary of Wally's release as part of an initiative by the club to appeal to children. Wally's Opening Day was the first television animation produced by a Major League Baseball club. Linda Henry, wife of Red Sox principal owner John W. Henry, served as executive producer. In 2026, Wally ranked fourth in a Bovada Sportsbook survey of MLB mascot

In Their Own Story

As the late afternoon sun glints off the emerald expanse of left field, Wally thunders down the warning track, his oversized red sneakers slapping a rhythmic beat against the dirt. Spotting a wide-eyed child in the front row, he leaps for a high-five that seems to spark pure electricity between them. Before the first pitch is thrown, he scrambles up to perch atop the legendary wall—a furry sentinel ready to erupt in celebration over a home run or offer a gentle, comforting hug after a strikeout.

Reader's Guide

Wally has had a rivalry with Tampa Bay Rays mascot Raymond, who once drove over a small doll of Wally with an all-terrain vehicle. In 2007, Wally was featured in a commercial for ESPN's SportsCenter with David Ortiz, Jorge Posada and SportsCenter anchor Stan Verrett, showcasing the Red Sox–Yankees rivalry. In 2019, Wally took a photo with Jennifer Lopez, who was engaged to former New York Yankees player Alex Rodriguez at the time and tweeted a photo at him. During the 2019 MLB London Series, both Rodriguez and Wally posted a photo to social media accounts of Wally appearing to strangle Rodriguez.

Did You Know?

• Wally's name comes from the Green Monster wall at Fenway Park.
• Wally debuted on April 13, 1997, on 'Kids Opening Day'.
• The mascot was booed by adults early on but later became accepted.
• In 2015, a missing costume incident turned out to be a misunderstanding.
• Wally's Opening Day in 2017 was the first TV animation produced by an MLB club.