Minor League Spotlight: Shine on You Crazy Yellow-Winged Diamond

Minor League Spotlight is MLB FanHouse's look into baseball's minor leagues. But you probably figured that out already.

Let's admit one thing off the bat here: becoming a famous -- and I use that term loosely in this sense -- mascot is not an easy thing. After all, you are a mascot. You wear a ridiculous costume that makes you sweaty while you try and entertain the kids. It's a thankless job.

But one mascot has risen above them all and achieved that hard to come by famousness. He is the (Famous) San Diego Chicken. And, after more than 30 years, he's still packing the kids into the seats. In fact, he was the No. 1 promotional draw in minor league ballparks this summer.

From Sports Biz with Darren Rovell:

Long after "The Baseball Bunch" (my favorite show as a kid after "This Week In Baseball") and the San Diego Padres ditching him, the Famous Chicken was the number one promotion in the minor leagues in 2007. Its appearance at minor league games, on average, increased attendance by 26 percent.

That's pretty good when you consider, as the firm reveals, that the Chicken's appearance only cost teams 22 cents per fan. It's also pretty good when you consider that the Chicken is more than 30 years old.

A hearty congrats, Mr. Famous Chicken. And here I thought Wally Backman was the biggest draw this season.