Retired Arkansas Travelers’ Mascot Shelly’s True Identity Revealed

NORTH LITTLE ROCK – Recently retired Arkansas Travelers mascot, Shelley, was apprehended yesterday by a group of teenagers while working to solve a neighborhood mystery.  It was revealed that retired morning news anchor B.J. Sams was the man inside the suit.

“It is a shame, you know, to learn that he fell on such hard times.” said Lt. Kim Francisco of the North Little Rock Police Department.

Sams worked for KTHV from 1982 until he retired in 2009, but continued on moonlighting as the beloved mascot until he was forced to retire earlier this year.  Residents near the Dickey-Stevens Park area have reported strange break-ins with food missing from their refrigerators.  Reports were also filed of locals seeing a bipedal donkey, or a two legged horse-like creature, defecating on their property, frightening area residents and their children.

“Finally I can sleep at night without having to worry about a strange donkey, or horse, or whatever it is, breaking into my home and scaring my children.” said area resident.   “Thanks to those kids, our reign of terror from this monster is finally over.”

Four teens were able to capture Sams using a Rube Goldberg-style trap set up on the property of an area resident, using their dog and a pile of dog treats as bait.

“I would have gotten away with it, if it weren’t for those meddling kids.” Sams said as he was taken into custody by North Little Rock police officers.

Paul Allen, general manager of the Arkansas Travelers, released the following statement:

“I never saw Shelley outside of his uniform.  To think of it, I never saw Shelley or B.J. [Sams] in the same room together, either.  Regardless, the Arkansas Travelers, the Los Angeles Angles of Anaheim, and Minor League Baseball do not condone this kind of behavior.  We will be sure our next mascot does not bring about the same terror in our fans and neighbors.”