Phillie Phanatic history: Meet the man behind one of the most beloved mascots in sports

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Nothing encapsulates the excitement of the postseason more than the furry-faced Phillie Phanatic.

He's one of the greatest mascots in sports, and it's all thanks to Dave Raymond, who started as a Phillies intern.

"They said, 'You want to come back?' 'I said, Yeah, what do you want me to do?' 'Go to New York and get fitted for a costume,'" said Raymond, reliving the moment he got tapped to be the now iconic mascot.

"I got measured and they gave me this design drawing. (They) told me to just go have fun!" added Raymond.

He says the organization gave him the freedom to be goofy and embrace all that is the core of being a Phillies fan.

Raymond was the first person to don the neon green tinted costume and wore it for 16 years. Raymond made three World Series appearances as the Phanatic and retired after the Phillies 1993 World Series run.

He says seeing the team and the beloved mascot possibly make it back to baseball's biggest stage is nothing short of nostalgia and pride.

"It's 45 years later and it's wonderful to see the Phanatic do the same type of unifier and do the same type of creating moments of joy for people, and that's so wonderful and powerful about sports," said Raymond.

He now has his own business called Raymond Entertainment and has designed other mascots like the Flyers' Gritty and GMA's mascot Ray.