Turks Mascot “Gill”
To add a special touch to your event, the Turks Mascot “Gill” would love to come out and visit with your students or guests. Gill is available to come to your school, library, party, race, or club gathering. Please contact Teresa Wease by e-mailing turksbaseball@hotmail.com or calling 434-5919 to set up your appearance.
In May 2014 the Harrisonburg Turks called up Carlos “Gill” McGiliculty from their extensive farm system. He will be seen quite often at Valley League games, as he’s taken roost at JMU’s Veterans Memorial Park and won’t seem to leave.
Upon his arrival from the local Cargill poultry plant, Gill was asked to fill out a personal ID card and present standard documentation for a bird of his status. Records cannot be verified — several documents, including his birth certificate, have been written and filled out using what appears to be crayon — so it is unknown just how old he is. Gill has also refused to disclose his height and weight, as he is a tad sensitive on these matters.
Gill has told us that his favorite cartoon character is Foghorn Leghorn. His favorite movie is Free Birds, and his favorite band is Lynyrd Skynyrd.
Discovered during a scouting trip to the Dayton Cargill plant, Gill hails somewhere from a holler in Rockingham County. He was spotted outrunning all of the plant employees, and one scout swears he clocked him skipping a rock at 90 miles per hour. After he was hauled down to Harrisonburg for a quick tryout, he was awarded a roster spot.
Gill impressed the coaching staff most with his ferocious speed. “He can really fly,” remarked head coach Bob Wease to his assistants. Overhearing this comment, Gil climbed up on top of the Veterans Memorial Park press box and tried to fly to center field, which ended poorly.
“For the time being, maybe I’ll just stick to flying around the bases,” Gill told a young, intrepid reporter.
Gill’s calendar was supposed to be strictly tied to the Harrisonburg Turks baseball schedule during the summer, but he’s made so many friends at the games that he now enjoys flying around to other community events throughout the year.
