Mascots aren’t allowed to talk. But Errol Morris gets one of them to take us inside the head of one of baseball’s most iconic figures, Mr. Met. From 1994 to 1997, A.J. Mass entertained millions at Shea Stadium without saying a word, and he relives those years — the ecstasy, the agony, and the threat from the Secret Service not to approach President Clinton. He also brings a thoughtful perspective to the life of a mascot, who has to assume a different identity in order to please. “We all wear costumes to interact with people,” says Mass. “We wish to be somebody other than ourselves.”
Visit Grantland every day this week for a new It’s Not Crazy, It’s Sports short film, and for more of Errol Morris Week.