Riversharks' quirky mascot plays pickup game

"On the other hand," he said, "you open yourself up to all sorts of snickers and side comments. Does Mr. Trash take out the team if the team isn't very good?"

A mascot, said Jarvis, of Nova Southeastern University Law Center in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., must perform a variety of crucial roles. Entertain fans. Help drive ticket sales. Promote the club through visits to schools, libraries and hospitals. A popular mascot can even generate revenue through sales of baseballs and T-shirts bearing his image.

Mascots are especially important to minor-league teams, because they offer fans continuity at a level where players constantly come and go.

The Trenton Thunder have Boomer, a friendly blue-and-gold bird. The Wilmington Blue Rocks have Rocky Bluewinkle, a moose. The Atlantic City Surf are looking for someone to perform as Splash, a genial sea monster. If you're interested, the pay is $45 a game.

In Camden, Finley employs a toothy grin to help the Riversharks draw an average of 3,577 folks per game. He's not the only lure. On Sundays, the entire team signs autographs. And if you bring a group of 150 to the ballpark, the Riversharks will let you sing the national anthem.

Last night, festivities were to include a baby bottle sand-sculpting contest sponsored by Johnson & Johnson and WXTU-FM (92.5).

Mr. Trash appears at all 72 home games, making his entrance just before the sixth inning. Early in the game, Tarricone works as Bones the T-Shirt Guy, sponsored by a radiology firm, and River Line Larry, for NJ Transit.

It's not all glamour, Tarricone said. He has been drenched by half-finished Slushies and sodas that people toss at his bag. After six years, his tuxedo pants are wearing out. On the other hand, he has gotten more than a few phone numbers from women who like his moves.

When Tarricone accepted the job, the first thing he decided was to take it seriously. If he was going to dance, he wasn't going to look like just another dork from Jersey in a Mr. Trash suit. He began rehearsing to tunes like James Brown's "Living in America."

"I get up here, get in my zone, get ready to go out and do my thing," he said Tuesday before hitting the field.

Does he think being Mr. Trash could lead to better things, maybe a mascot job with a bigger club?

"It could," Tarricone said. "But I highly doubt it."

And that's fine, he said. It's so much fun. He has made great friends. His buddies think working for a baseball team is the coolest job on earth.

"It's a lot of people's dream to walk on the field," he said. "I get to dance on it."

For Riversharks schedule and ticket information, go to http://go.

philly.com/sharks