Montrell Washington, who worked at Disneyland last year, practices jumping in furry garb before his audition to be Dinger, the Sacramento River Cats' feline mascot, on Saturday at Raley Field. Washington, from Elk Grove, was among eight participants chosen to try out for the full-time position that the team established this year. The job is expected to be awarded early this week.

The men shimmied, skipped and sashayed. At least one danced the shopping cart. Two did the splits. Another would have completed the standing back flip, if that giant furry cat head hadn't gotten in the way.

The job title they all wanted: Dinger.

The eight candidates spent Saturday in a grueling daylong interview process in hopes of being selected as the first full-time mascot of the Sacramento River Cats baseball team, the Triple-A affiliate of the Oakland A's. The giant uniform-clad feline – who looks friendlier in person than the fiercely clawed cat in the logo – has been a collection of part-time workers for the minor league club's 10 years.

Now, the team is calling up Dinger to the majors – bringing in a national consultant to lead the search and planning to send the selected candidate to the consultant's mascot boot camp in Pennsylvania later this month.

"Dinger is obviously a big part of the River Cats," said spokesman Gabe Ross. "We often joke he's the most popular player because he's the only one you know is going to be here year to year."

The process began in mid-January when the position was posted to Craigslist and other job boards. The qualifications required candidates be physically fit, able to endure hot and humid conditions, be courteous and friendly, proficient in Microsoft Office, able to communicate nonverbally, and have a driver's license.

About 35 applied, submitting résumés and three-minute videos. After a round of phone interviews, the eight were brought in for Saturday's auditions at Raley Field in West Sacramento.

There was a part-time Dinger, a Marine World water-skier, a media production freelancer, a former parking attendant at Sierra-at-Tahoe, a golf store manager, a massage therapist, a Golden Baseball League mascot, and a student trainee with the Sacramento Police Department who also worked as various characters at Disneyland.

"You're not just somebody in a costume," said Montrell Washington, 20, who played Pluto, Eeyore, Rafiki the monkey and Clarabelle the cow at Disneyland last year. "You bring these dreams to life."

The candidates, who each were assigned a suite as their dressing room after arriving at 8:30 a.m., went through half-hour interviews during the morning before a panel including team owner Susan Savage. They went before the panel again in the afternoon, but this time, anonymously and mutely in costume.

Each was asked to do several Dinger walks; impersonate a little boy, little girl, old man, old woman, sexy woman and macho man; demonstrate emotions like happiness, sadness and shyness; and do tricks with props like pool noodles, a Mexican sombrero, rubber ball and teddy bear. They also were asked to dance to various musical selections, including "Surfin' USA."

"You can't buy advertising that would do better things for you," said mascot consultant Dave Raymond, who owns Raymond Entertainment and served as the Philadelphia Phillies mascot for 16 years. "You're not an annoying commercial – you're a fun, lovable, huggable character."

Slamson, the Sacramento Kings mascot, is already a full-time employee who is in his seventh season with the team, said spokesman Mitch Germann. He receives regular training in stunts, improv, dance, clowning, prop building and social networking.

Dinger, who is said to have lived under Tower Bridge before becoming the team's official mascot, is about to step into another of his nine lives as a permanent employee. The panel is expected to make its selection early this week.

"This isn't rocket science, being a mascot," said Tony Asaro, who heads up the team's community relations and served on the panel of judges. "But when you go into a hospital and there's a child ravaged by cancer and they stand up to you because you're a giant cat, that's making a difference in a child's life."

Stephen Webster acts out in costume for a River Cats panel. Dinger candidates had to dance, perform impersonations, do tricks and show emotions – anonymously and mutely.

Tony Asaro, who handles community relations, watches auditions.

Dinger candidates listen toinstructions at their tryout Saturday.

Everything about the mascot is oversized, as one auditioner finds out.