Everyone knows the Blaze mascot Rookie, the Dalmatian who keeps the crowd going by dancing and entertaining everyone.
But do you know the person behind that big dog suit?
Her name is Lena Franzen. She has been the mascot for the Blaze for about three years. “This year is my last year here,” she said with a smile.
Her job consists of entertaining the crowd, promoting things in the field and annoying people.
“I knock over people’s soda on purpose just to annoy them,” she said.
And she is use to being called by the wrong name. “People give me nicknames like, ‘Snookie,’ ‘Cookie,’ ‘Pongo,’ ‘Lucky’ and even ‘Hey Blaze,’ ” she said.
Being the Blaze mascot has its moments.
She was able to race her daughter around the baseball diamond for Mother’s Day.
Her daughter won, so she received a free Blaze ticket and Franzen was presented with roses. “I was happy,” she said.
But the weight of the suit can create a warm and unpleasant experience especially on hot summer nights.
To breathe she has to lean up against the fence so the kids won’t see her face. To wash her outfit she must take the padding out, throw the clothes in the washer and clean the dog head by hand.
Born in Long Beach, Franzen has lived in many different towns like Hunington Beach, Costa Mesa, Riverside and now Bakersfield. “I basically grew up in Riverside,” she said.
In 1987 she graduated from Rubido High School. She went to college to major in geology, but never finished.
She has been married to Blain Franzen for 10 years and they have a little girl named Olivia. “She is 5 going on 15,” she chuckled.
In her spare time she loves to kickbox, box, practice yoga and pilates. “Oh yeah, I love to read too,” she added.