during the 1981 major league baseball strike, 22-year-old shanahan told the "star" that he would lose $7000 if the whole season was cancelled. he suggested he might return to ontario place, but worried the strike might permanently kill the character. during the strike, he rebuilt his basil beaver and mickey moose costume heads for ontario place, and received a contract to build six more animals in the autumn. by the end of the strike, he estimated a loss of $3600.