Baseball Mascot Gets New Name After ‘PorkChop’ Is Deemed Offensive

Two days after naming its mascot “PorkChop,” the Philadelphia Phillies’ new Triple-A affiliate abruptly dropped the moniker after receiving complaints from Hispanics that it was offensive.

The Lehigh Valley IronPigs, whose mascot is a large, furry pig, had selected PorkChop from more than 7,300 fan submissions. The team, which begins play in 2008, announced Monday that the mascot will be named “Ferrous” instead.

General Manager Kurt Landes said he heard from several Hispanics who said PorkChop was derogatory.

“We were really unaware of any negative connotations with the word ‘pork chop,”’ he said. “If it offended a few, it’s a few too many.”

Guillermo Lopez, vice president of the Latino Leadership Alliance, said he was called “pork chop” when he worked at Bethlehem Steel decades ago.

{snip}