Why the San Francisco Giants got rid of Rusty 

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If I'm not mistaken, after fans started throwing things at him, I thought he got damaged on more than one occassion forcing the Giants brass to keep footing the maintenance bill for ol' Rusty or "can" the idea and keep him in his hidden tomb until they figured out what to do about the whole debacle.

Brodie: a friend just sent this. What a hoot! It all seemed like a good idea at the time, but they don’t all work out. Now Rusty is one of those urban legends. Thanks for keeping it alive. All the best..Pat Gallagher

Rusty's shed and the original splash hit counter are now the Alaska Airline Suite. Which is really nice. There were also several "gimmicks" at Oracle Park when it first opened to build excitement and some of the lesser known or under utilized for axed quickly. The Chevron logo's H would light up on hits and the E would light up on errors. The digital board next to the TD Ameritrade sign used to show a stock ticker. The guest services desk in the Club Level offered concierge service. The Giants have done a good job of modernizing and becoming more efficient over time.

That’s cool should bring it back

Bring back The Crazy Crab.

Rusty screams something that, upon building a NEW stadium - people will call corny and goofy and whatever else. But If he had stuck around to the modern age I think he would be thought of fondly. Especially if he was tipping his hat and dancing around all throughout the winning between 2010-14. Oracle is one of the top 3 stadiums to visit in all of the MLB by every metric imaginable (top 1 in my opinion) and Rusty definitely could have fit in to the legend of the place

As an East Coaster who’s been to Oracle Park exactly once and that was just last year, I have to admit that this is the first time I’ve ever even heard of Rusty. Had he still been there I feel like he would’ve been one of the coolest parts of the park

Long time Giants fan here, having vague memories back to the Frank Robinson days. I don't remember Rusty. I think in 2000 I was morning the loss of Candlestick and annoyed at the hordes of lookie-loos the didn't know the team crowding the new ballpark so I waited awhile before engaging that year. Seeing the link between Rusty and Old Navy, owned by the Gap, and the John Fisher family, this makes me cringe. Fisher has really messed up Bay Area sports.

Rusty was in the wrong place, but not only that, it just doesn’t seem necessary for that area, he might’ve been a cool feature on the exterior of the park when certain plays or hits were made.

Rusty > Ohtani Steroid Bonds would've went roid rage on Rusty in the right field.

I went to over 10 games that first season at Pac Bell Park. Not sure how I missed Rusty! Lol

Thanks for mentioning me.

Rusty lasted about as long, and had a similar skill set as most Giants outfielders. Perhaps its a "Curse of Rusty" that prevents the Giants from having an awesome outfielder.

It's like how I learned there was a second Habs mascot: "Metal" for a season.

I also feel it didn’t work that well and that’s why they stopped using it.

Deep, core memories of Rusty hatred are coming to the surface. We had season tickets in 104 and I remember watching people in the corner sections against the wall throw stuff at Rusty. I'd sooner bring back the promenade level Carl's Jr that opened with the ballpark. Or the Build-a-Bear in center field, if only to say, "Why is there a Build-a-Bear here?"

I do not remember Rusty at all. I think I first attended a game at Pac Bell in its second season. Would love to see him crumple after taking a line drive straight to his bolt sack

Wow. Never knew that existed. He is kind of creepy.

Nvr seen Rusty. I blame tv contracts. Seems cool enough. But It is fun to throw stuff at things. Like a stop sign with a rock. Alot better than our tropicana orange with straw stuck in it with neon light segments burnt out.

This never made any sense - to anyone. First time I've seen it. Never want to see it again.

It didn't help that Rusty resembled Steve Garvey

Need to throw some Rusty animations on the video board now! Genuinely had no idea about this

He was great! It always reminded me of the Apple that came up at Shea Stadium after a homerun.

I don't remember Rusty but I do remember the Sega Dreamcast stations under the bleachers with MLB 2K.

I have found a few souvenir penny machines at other ballparks in 2024!

I learned about Rusty from Kruk and Kuip 😂

I actually still have a souvenir penny from my first game in 2005 against the Marlins. Now I know where they came from. Thanks Brodie!

Rusty looks Cool!

Rusty is oddly cool. Reminds me of the Cliffhangers game from Price Is Right.

Not that I'm 100-percent certain, but I think that one move of Rusty's you questioned was his "pitching" mode. But since his pitching arm and kick leg can't move forward, it ends up looking nothing like that. Also, I think based on that motion, he'd be pitching the ball with his glove hand.

I have a Criox DE Candlestick.

Thanks for doing this, Brodie, a real blast from the past! I was involved in Pac Bell Park development, having facilitated and designed the naming partnership between Pac Bell (my client) and the Giants (with Pat and Larry Baer leading). This was in 1996 and my agency team subsequently helped manage Pac Bell's partnership with the Giants for a few years. As a lifelong Giants fan, I was thrilled to be part of this process and the deal put my fledgling agency on the map in SF. So, of course, the opening and early years of the new stadium were magical. That said, Rusty was an epic fail - for similar reasons that Crazy Crab was actually a hit at the Stick - Bay Area fans' subversive sense of humor and their collective cynicism of something seen as being so contrived. One could argue that the fans get swept away with other contrivances but there was something uniquely forced and weird about Rusty. Fun to see Pat's take, I've wondered about what happened to the old metalhead myself.

Time for Rusty to return

I think it’s kind of fun and charming

i watched games from time stadium opened and dont remember seeing him ever.

I have a pressed penny from the first Giants game I ever went to! My dad took my brother and I, it must’ve been 2001, and it was a game against none other than the A’s! What a throwback.

It reminds me of the train at Minute Maid park that goes back and fourth after a home run or a win , it's one of those little details ballparks have that make them unique.

I remember Rusty the first time they brought him out, he got stuck going into the wall. Every time they tried he would get stuck someplace. People hated Rusty, Kind of like crazy crab at the stick.

I got to go to what became the Giants' first home win at Pac Bell Park near the end of April 2000 but had totally forgotten about Rusty all these years later. Thanks for the trip down memory lane.

I recall seeing him on TV a few times, but I never saw him at the game. I was lukewarm on Rusty. He was dated in even in the year 2000.

It seems to be a nice throw back to old time baseball - something unique to the SF Ballpark like the old scoreboard of Comiskey Park or the Big A in left field at Anaheim Stadium

These are cool vids! Educational for new fans and nostalgic for older fans. Good stuff

His name is Rusty Shackleford

Who will last longer, Fahran or Rusty 😅

Thanks for this! Born in 1999 and a life long giants fan. You really do learn something new every day :)

Make a giant one overseeing the bay

I wish the A’s were able to revive Harvey the Rabbit. The pop up rabbit that would allow umpires choose balls between innings. I heard Harvey had mechanical issues.

When Atanta took up residence in its new stadium in 1966, a HUGE effigy of a Brave named "Big Victor" was stationed between the outfield fence and the stadium wall, which was about 30 feet high. Victor stood next to the battng cage in the very corner of right field. On home runs, he'd swing a tomahawk, his eyes would flash red, and smoke would come out of his ears. He was one of a kind and gradually his parts stopped working. By 1968 Victor had gone to the happy hunting ground.

I don't think I knew about Rusty, but if I did, I just dont remember. I'm a lifelong Giants fan but moved away in 1992, so I did not see many games. My first game at the Giants' new stadium was in 2009. Long after Rusty. Anyway, I just wanted to say how disappointed I am to hear how fans booed and actually threw stuff at Rusty. I did not know we had fans like that in San Francisco. Thanks for this video, as I may have never known about old Rusty.

Never saw Rusty in person but I thought it was cool. Like the Coke Bottle and Glove, it made the park unique.

Rusty seems pretty cool, people are just jerks. Especially at the turn of the century when everything had to be "edgy and badass" or it was "stupid" or worse. Very sad tale.

always sad we never at least got a rusty bobblehead : ( i remember looking up what happened to him around 2010 (bring him back for the world series run!) and learned that he had been scrapped just a few years prior. thinking back on it, if kevin elster didnt hit 3 homers in the opener... or maybe if the giants won a game their first homestand... maybe rusty is still around.... i think the move he's doing at 4:00 is pitching

I've been a fan since '58 and did not remember Rusty.

Thanks! Great video about Rusty. What was more hated Rusty or Crazy Crab?

I have no problem with Rusty. Have him come back as Willie Mays! I’d like to see fans boo that. Lol

That being said, what ever happened to the idea of having Portuguese water dogs in the cove instead of the canoe people?

Great video Brodie! Now make a video on Father Guido Sarducci & the World Famous Portuguese Water Dogs... I don't think they lasted a full season either.

I saw him a couple of times during opening week. What the folks in the stands were laughing about, that isn’t so clear from these short videos, is that in many of the routines his left hand waves back and forth over the groin area. So there’s that.

Brodie nearing 50k!

I wish Ralph Lauren took over the stadium name so we can call the ballpark ‘Polo Grounds’ again

I'm 70 and a lonnng time Giants fan and I don't know what you're talking about.

It really irked me that he wasn’t even in a Giants uniform.

Drinking out of Rusty’s head right now.

Sorry but I keep thinking of Rusty Staub. This was because you said think way back

would be cool to see. have a feeling if it would stay, would become just a stationary object or a little screen character

There was an uncanny valley effect to Rusty

I think it's quirky gimmick that I never heard of but I think would have been cool to use every now then not a hole lot.

If it’d been made in the 50s at say Wrigley. It’d be retro cool

You didn’t touch on the players who put other players faces on Rusty…always thought that was the final straw for poor ol’ Rusty

People booing are they mad that was pretty awesome I don’t remember it. I’m pretty sure my older cousins do

if they had one of these at Busch in St. Louis, I'd be all for it!

Just watched clips from the first game and don’t see him. Was he only there for the preseason games?

Just watched clips from the first game and don’t see him. Was he only there for the preseason games?

An army of AI Rustys roaming the countryside

Brodie, I absolutely love your reporting and stories. I’m a lifelong Giants fan but also an A’s fan. Back in ‘68 when the A’s arrived, it was okay to be a fan of both teams. There was no interleague play. We were now able to see the stars from the American League in person. Mantle, Yaz, the Robinson’s, the Yankees, Red Sox, Orioles just to name a few. My sister was a huge fan. Unfortunately she is no longer with us but she would be crushed with the team moving. I feel your pain and frustration. I’m sorry that you are losing your job and wish you the best. The Giants nearly left twice and I was heartbroken until we were saved. Unfortunately MLB nowadays could care less. Be Well Buddy 🥺❤️

Can’t believe I forgot Rusty lol

Rather see The Crazy Crab come back. Rusty was just too kitschy

Great video 👍🏽

Holy, sheesh! I forgot all about Rusty! I never got to see him live, but I remember seeing the diving catch thinking, ' Well hey, that's not so bad'. Then I remember the pitching motion looking all weird so when they discontinued him I thought "Phew'. Also, slight correction: It says the company is TechniFEX. Techniflex were the greatest COOPER hockey gloves ever made. They were big around '96, as everyone on the San Jose Rhinos had 'em. ( Eric Lindros made 'em famous.) 😂

I'm glad somebody wiped that stupid smirk off Crusty Rusty's face. Rusty was an extension of the jumbo tron action animation of the 70's/80's. Generic, unnecessary and tiring. I want to throw my $20 nachos at Rusty. That sounds fun and at least I could get my money's worth.

This is dope!

Kinda like the crazy crab 🦀

I vaguely remember Rusty!

Oh I know what your talking about

Never heard Rusty before today. I ❤Rusty.

And John Fisher got offended that his Old Navy robot was booed, bought the A's and the rest as they say is history.

I remember him! Yeah, I did find him to be kinda creepy and uncanny, to be honest. I think a lot of us had that weird visceral reaction. LOL

I NEVER SAW THAT AT PAC BELL PARK. THIS IS NEWS TO ME IT ACTUALLY LOOKS PRETTY COOL.

Never knew about Rusty . Wish I still didn’t know about Rusty . Thanks for the nightmares Brodie .

The fact that people were throwing things at Rusty says more about the fans than Rusty. Shameful and embarrassing for Giants fans to be honest.

Can't say I remember Rusty. I left California in 1996 & didn't see many Giants games living in Florida in 2000. That said, Rusty was creepy.

The Giants got rid of Rusty because he was hated from the time of his first appearance. It was a disappointing gimmick and something you might expect to see at a single-A ballpark. Boom roasted.

I was at a game in 2000 and actually got to see Rusty. It looked dated and clunky. All I saw Rusty do was wave. Until I saw this video I had no idea there were other things Rusty could do. I suspect it was supposed to look really retro but I remember thinking that it looked very out of place at a stadium that was brand new. I was actually glad they "retired" Rusty. Just my $.02. Pat Gallagher had some amazing marketing ideas while he worked for the Giants.

Good 4 the ppl of 1999 to have the good sense to know the dangers of ROBOTS :)

Not a Giants fan , but I Never heard of Rusty either . Seems like Fail 😂

How long did he last? I went to numerous games that first year and don’t remember him. Was he gone after the first couple series?

Maybe for a minor league team, but never bring him up to the show

Oh, that's awful. Don't remember this but so glad he's gone.

Rusty is a terrible name. Crazy crab was despised. Giants fan since 1966.