Orioles’ Brad Ciolek shows that yes, you really can leave that Ozzie the Cougar costume behind – The Athletic
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Ozzie the Cougar.
That’s where this story starts.
Inside the sweaty mascot costume of the Kane County Cougars, a Class-A club in Geneva, Ill.
It’s where a 17-year-old intern first started his baseball career back in 2003.
That kid, Brad Ciolek, is now 33. He’s a husband, a father and a baseball executive in the major leagues.
He has one of the most critical jobs in the Baltimore Orioles’ front office: interim scouting director. He’s the guy who coordinated a draft that needed to be the bedrock of a franchise rebuild. A draft that included the Orioles’ first No. 1 overall pick in 30 years.
That’s a bit of a jump from Ciolek’s days as a mascot. And, to be accurate, this guy wasn’t even the Ozzie the Cougar. He did it five or six times, splitting the duty with other paid interns.
“I did a little bit of everything. Pulled tarps, mopped down picnic tables. I wore the mascot outfit. You name it and I did…
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