Minor league baseball team's Ozempig mascot irks fans; officials brush off criticism

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A minor league baseball affiliate of the Minnesota Twins started the 2024 season off a little hotter than expected even before it had a chance to throw out a first pitch.

The St. Paul Saints, who play in the International League, named their living, breathing pig mascot Ozempig after the popular weight loss drug Ozempic. 

Not everyone thought it was a home run. The Saints received criticism almost immediately after announcing the name last weekend, and some see it as fat shaming.

Sean Aronson, the Saints' vice president and media relations director, told The Associated Press Friday the organization was only trying to name its mascot something amusing and topical when it chose Ozempig. Aronson said officials were stunned many found the name offensive.

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This photo provided by the St. Paul Saints shows a pig named Ozempig March 28 at a farm in Wisconsin. (St. Paul Saints Baseball  via AP)

"In today's world, people don't want to be diminished, they don't want to be made to feel a certain way, and I'm not going to tell them how they feel is wrong," he said. "But I can tell you there was no ill intent. There was no maliciousness. There was never even a discussion in the room when we were going over the name that, ‘Hey, this may offend some people.’"

Fans were mostly upset over its backstory — the pig's embarrassment at gaining weight and its effort at staying trim.

The Saints, part of the independent American Association from 2006 to 2020 before entering the minor league baseball system, are accustomed to wild promotions. Fun usually comes second nature to the teams.

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