The mistreatment of the planet by human beings is going to cause a mass extinction like the one that killed the dinosaurs, and it all starts with this Lehigh Valley IronPigs player hitting a foul ball into the neck of the Phillie Phanatic and sending him to the hospital. The incident happened during the top of the third in last night’s “World Famous Phillie Phanatic Appearance” at Coca-Cola park, and was followed by an ominous IronPigs tweet: “The Phanatic will not perform again tonight as a precautionary measure after being hit by a foul ball.” Of course, being blasted in the neck didn’t completely end the Phanatic’s performance, as he sold it like a champ before disappearing into the ether of Allentown’s healthcare system.

The Morning Call featured a statement about the incident from the Phillie Phanatic’s Best Friend Tom Burgoyne, but I’m not going to directly link to them because they don’t seem to know how mascots work. The Phanatic is an extremely old bird, not a middle-aged man in a costume. Come on, guys, tighten up.

“The Phanatic is fine,” Burgoyne, 45, wrote this morning on his Facebook page. “He took one off the neck last night at the Iron Pigs game. Since we’re sooo close, I felt his pain and have a nice golf ball-sized knot just above my eye.

In true Phanatic fashion, Burgoyne added: “Bring on the A’s this weekend. “The Phanatic will be ready.”

Maybe this is karma for stomping a Mets hat on Japanese television. Haha, who am I kidding, the Mets aren’t good enough to have karma.

In a related story, Mr. Met fell down a flight of steps and nobody notice for like, two weeks.

[video via NBC Philly, h/t to Mike Westfall]

Check out this clip from FUJI TV that might as well be a scene from Excel Saga of Japan Sports Reporter Florent Dabadie (who is French, which is why he looks like he’s from Monty Python and sounds like Borat) interviewing the Phillie Phanatic. The Phanatic hits all of his major press tour talking points, like blowing his nose on Florent’s tie, stomping a mudhole in a New York Mets hat and talking about how much he likes to dance. So it’s basically a Chris Brown interview, but with the Mets instead of Rihanna. In case you were wondering, Florent’s Dugout screen name would be ImBlueDabadieDabooda.

Of course, the Japanese need no introduction to the Phanatic because they know his cousin, Slyly of the Hiroshima Toyo Carp. Slyly mupdates and modernizes the technology of the Phanatic by having two party favors in his nose instead of one. Note: to “mupdate” is to update a Muppet.

[Comically-oversized hat tip to The Fightins]