1988 White Sox Coke #NNO - Ribbie & RoobarbI liked Ribbie and Roobarb, when I was a kid. I just didn't "get" what they were supposed to be. As a matter of fact, I still don't know what the hell they are.
I've heard various reports about the origins of these temporary mascots. The most mentioned involves Andy the Clown. Andy was a fixture at the old park. Some liked him. Some didn't. As many positive stories as I've heard about Andy, I've heard just as many negative. I suppose I can say the same for Ronnie "Woo Woo" Wickers on the north side of town.
Unlike Ronnie, which the Cubs organization seems to embrace, Andy was never embraced by the current White Sox owners. In an attempt to drive Andy from the park, Ribbie and Roobarb were created, or so the legend goes. I don't know the true origins and I'm not inclined to dig around for the answer.
Ribbie and Roobarb were sort of embarrassing as mascots. Ribbie was a Phillie Phanatic-like ripoff and Roobarb was... something else. Yellow, I guess. They remind me of the two stoner aliens from "Heavy Metal". Since the demise of these two, there have been several attempts at mascots for the White Sox. From Waldo the Wolf to the current Southpaw, the Sox have tried to horn in on the mascot market with various degrees of success.
If I really wanted, Southpaw can appear at my future wedding. I don't think I'll take him up on the offer, but I appreciate the thought. If I invite Southpaw to the wedding, I would be forced to invite Ribbie & Roobarb to the bachelor party. It's only right. I'm sure those two have been down and out enough to know how to throw a bash that would make "The Hangover" look like a child's tea party.
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