2022 Best Video Short Award Winner
2023 Best In-Game Routine or Skit Award Winner
Chico is the larger-than-life mascot of the El Paso Chihuahuas, the Triple-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres, competing in the Pacific Coast League of Minor League Baseball (MiLB). The Chihuahuas play their home games at Southwest University Park in downtown El Paso, Texas, and have built a passionate local following since the franchise launched in 2014. At seven feet tall, Chico is considerably larger than the breed he represents — a fact that has never once slowed him down. He earned two Mascot Hall of Fame honors: the 2023 Best In-Game Routine or Skit Award (MiLB/Minor League category) and the 2022 Best Video Short Award (MiLB/Minor League category) — proving that whether on the field or on screen, Chico delivers.
Chaos in the Ballpark: Dog vs. Squirrel
Chico’s award-winning 2023 in-game skit leaned hard into one of the oldest rivalries in nature — dog versus squirrel. During a Bark at the Park game, Chico launched into a full outfield pursuit of a squirrel that turned out to be, in the words of the Chihuahuas themselves, “practically the Usain Bolt of the rodent world.” The chase was a masterpiece of physical comedy — Chico stumbling over his own paws, the squirrel zigzagging with caffeinated confidence — before Chico ultimately emerged victorious. It’s a tail as old as time. Yes, that pun was absolutely intended.
Opening Day Laundry
For his 2022 video short, Chico took a more domestic approach — accidentally shrinking his jersey in the wash during the off-season, in a social media video designed to re-engage fans in the weeks before Opening Day. Simple premise, perfect execution, and exactly the kind of content that reminds a fan base why they love their team before a single pitch has been thrown.
The real Chihuahua dog breed originates from — you guessed it — the Mexican state of Chihuahua, which borders El Paso directly across the Rio Grande. Chico is essentially a hometown hero in the most literal geographic sense possible.
