Meet The Moose -- Mariners' Mascot Gets His Message Across - Without Talking

The Mariner Moose is one of major league baseball's popular characters.

Since joining the Seattle Mariners in 1990, the team's mascot has appeared in national sports magazines, sports highlight films and television ads. He travels around the world and the country entertaining baseball fans and representing the Mariners.

Moose, who just returned from a trip to Japan, says traveling is the worst part of his job.

"It's tiring and there's no room for my antlers," he seemed to say by holding his hands way out by his head, shaking his head "no" and then flipping his hands forward in exasperation and pretending to be tired.

Moose doesn't talk, but he has no problem communicating using body language, writing and nodding his head to answer questions.

In Japan, Moose teamed up with Neppie, the mascot for the Orix Blue Wave baseball team in the M's sister city of Kobe. While there, he threw out the first pitch in two ballgames, met the general-secretary of Kobe and performed at a parade.

The part of his job Moose likes best is entertaining and meeting kids and getting to know the Mariner players.

His best-known antic is riding around the baseball field on his four-wheeler. He would like to point out that he never does this without wearing his large Moose helmet. He advises kids, whether on a four-wheeler or their bikes, to wear their helmets, too.

Moose indicated that his proudest moments representing the Mariners were when he was the vice president of Ken Griffey Jr.'s "campaign" for president in the 1996 Nike ads andstarring this year in a commercial with first baseman David Segui.

Bitten by the acting bug, Moose thinks he would someday like to star in a Hollywood comedy with either Halle Berry or Meg Ryan as his leading lady.

For now, Moose loves being with the Mariners. He believes the M's can pull off another miracle comeback this year. Then he put his furry hands together, shook them earnestly to the sky and prayed that they will. ------------------------------- Did you hear the one? Q. Did you hear the story about the germ? A. Never mind, I don't want to spread it around.

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Mariner Moose Facts: Newest endeavor: Unveiling his new Moose Logo line of clothing. Height: 6 feet, 2 inches Weight: 205 pounds Birthday: Opening Day 1990 Position: Utility Player Bats: Right handed Throws: Right handed

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Write to Wordy: What is your favorite thing about the first day of school? Tell us in an essay using 100 words or fewer. Send essays to My Words, c/o The Seattle Times, P.O. Box 1138, Seattle, WA 98111. Please remember to tell us your name, age and telephone number. The deadline is Aug. 31.

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Your Words: Wordy asked readers to help him finish a story he was writing. Hannah Park, 12, of Federal Way lent a hand. Here is Wordy's beginning, with Hannah's ending:

It happened long ago before I was born. My grandfather, who was just a boy, was sleeping one night in his family's cabin home in the woods of Montana when he heard a noise. It was the strangest thing he had ever heard. It sounded like a . . .

. . . cross between metal utensils in a garbage grinder and a wolf with bronchitis, howling. A chill sprinted up and down his backbone. He quivered like Jell-O while opening his window to peek outside. The horrible sound came again. He yelped and tumbled out of bed.

Panting heavily, he looked around the cabin. No one. Clawing furiously at the door, he burst outside. His folks were outside merrily singing. Grandpa's daddy told him he heard nothing. Relieved, he sunk into Daddy's lap. The sound came again, really near him! He looked up. Grandpa felt foolish to be afraid of his daddy's (no offense) terrifying singing!

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Word Find Find the names of the Major League mascots from the list below hidden in the puzzle. They can be found forward, backward, up, down or diagonally.

Moose Chicken Phillie (the Fanatic) Billy (the Marlin) Orbit Wally (the Green Monster) Mr. Met Neppie Dinger Bernie (the Brewer) Parrot

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Coded Message: Fix the spacing in this message to decipher a message from the Mariner Moose.

St ayins cho ola ndstu dyh a rd.

Answer: Stay in school and study hard.