The Tokyo Yakult Swallows announced that the performer of the mascot Tsubakuro has passed away. The mascot made its debut in 1994 and has since become the face of the club and sells the most merchandise among any of its team members. Tsubakuro was popular for his interaction with players as well as comical handwritten comments using a pen and sketchbook.
Tsubakuro will not be making any game appearances for the time being and whether the team will bring the mascot back with a different performer is uncertain at the moment.