The Sausage Days of Summer

Heave ho to the Chorizo

"Adios, Chorizo! . . .

We won't see you again until the home opener next season.

Lost in the local and national hubbub over the introduction of a fifth Racing Sausage to the Klement's lineup at Miller Park is the fact that Major League Baseball, which has authority over such merchandising and licensing matters, has put the Chorizo back in the freezer.

Baseball has strict rules for clubs that want to introduce a new mascot, uniform or logo change, and the Chorizo got caught up in the rules.

According to Susan Goodenow, an MLB spokesman, baseball wants to be sure that fans tie into new characters or promotions from a marketing and licensing standpoint.

She said baseball granted the Milwaukee Brewers a special dispensation allowing the character to participate in last Saturday's Sausage Race as part of Cerveceros Day at Miller Park.

But for the Chorizo, it was one and done for 2006. And with it went a public relations campaign that got Klement's and the Brewers national publicity."

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I have it on good authority that the Chorizo has actually been banned due to use of performance-enhancing drugs.