Apparently ESPN's "Body Issue" is a mascot-free zone, which came as both a shock and disappointment to Cleveland Indians' mascot Slider.
On Wednesday, Slider took to Twitter to express his feelings over not being selected to appear in the annual issue, while also giving the world a sneak preview of the photos ESPN reportedly elected not to publish.*
[Play a Daily Fantasy contest for cash today!l]
Friendly warning: There's a naked mascot below.
Hey @ESPNMag -- @kevinlove looked great, but did you lose the pics @SlidertheMascot sent you? http://t.co/ug3MbYZTna pic.twitter.com/7BFfYIoSjk
— Cleveland Indians (@Indians) July 8, 2015
Bryce Harper he isn't, but he doesn't lack confidence either. It's really rather inspiring.
Yep -- @SliderTheMascot did his own "Body" issue shoot, since ESPN lost our number. PHOTOS >> http://t.co/OrlEcWcooB pic.twitter.com/lk8s9lJ9Ty
— Cleveland Indians (@Indians) July 8, 2015
In fact, Slider was feeling so good during his photo shoot that he decided to aim even higher and hit up Sports Illustrated about a possible place in their next swimsuit edition.
Hey @SINow -- want to get back in our good graces? Include Slider in Swimsuit 2016. Look at that body! pic.twitter.com/b2Yi6EJ3Oi
— Cleveland Indians (@Indians) July 8, 2015
Well, he tried.
But hey, at least the folks at ESPN didn't completely disregard him.
The #BodyIssue hits newsstands Friday. The Indians' @SliderTheMascot tried his best to be included...but to no avail. pic.twitter.com/RpUJJeba60
— ESPN (@espn) July 8, 2015
Of course, a little extra publicity never hurts either. As noted, the Body Issue will hit newstands on Friday with different covers, including the cover featuring Bryce Harper.*
As for Slider, if you so desire, you can check out the full gallery over at Tribe Vibe.

And really, why wouldn't you?
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Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Townie813