Globe iconLogin iconRecap iconSearch iconTickets icon

New ballpark dogs ready to play in 2020

They fetch bats, they carry water ... and they look good doing it
Dogs new and old entertain fans and brighten front offices at stadiums around Minor League Baseball.
February 4, 2020

Bat dogs stole the baseball spotlight last spring after Finn, of Triple-A Las Vegas, had to work overtime to fetch a bat thrown by a Pacific Coast League umpire. Finn's video went viral and inspired us to track down all the other hardworking dogs of baseball. (You should also probably

Bat dogs stole the baseball spotlight last spring after Finn, of Triple-A Las Vegas, had to work overtime to fetch a bat thrown by a Pacific Coast League umpire. Finn's video went viral and inspired us to track down all the other hardworking dogs of baseball. (You should also probably check out this very important story about bat dogs from MLB.com.)

The pack is getting even bigger this year as four new dogs are getting ready to roam the fields of Minor League stadiums. Get to know the 2020 rookie class!
Turbo, the Class A Bowling Green Hot Rods' new pup, is already promoting custom phone wallpapers on his very own Twitter account.

Cooper joined the Double-A Tennessee Smokies' staff in December and wasted no time jumping on the field. It's unclear if Coop, a bloodhound, will have bat-fetching duties or will just watch the action:

Henley is off to a fast start, already rolling around in the grass at Class A Columbia:

The Class A Burlington Bees hired Ozzie to take over as the team's "director of fur and canine relations."

Classic Canines


Finn the Bat Dog has more than 27,000 followers on Twitter thanks to his fame in Las Vegas. (Josh Holmberg)


Ollie the Bat Dog worked many summers in New Hampshire before his retirement in 2018. He's the brother of former Trenton bat dog Derby and the uncle of current Trenton bat dog Rookie, and he occasionally comes out of retirement for special appearances. (Kevin Pataky/MiLB.com)


Here's Rookie, Trenton's current bat dog, who follows in the pawprints of his grandfather Chase and father, Derby. He was promoted to Triple-A in 2018, but was quickly sent back to Double-A after getting confused by the home dugout being on the third base side. (Christopher Shannon)

And in 2019, Rookie made it to Yankee Stadium for the ALDS!

"Tech the Bat Dog," a Belgian Malinois, is with the Sit Means Sit Kentucky Training Center. He serves as the bat dog each Thursday at Whitaker Bank Park in the South Atlantic League, home to the Lexington Legends.Jeff Moreland/MiLB.com

Umpires probably don't want to mess with Tech, a Belgian Malinois, who serves as the bat dog each Thursday for the Lexington Legends. (Jeff Moreland/MiLB.com)

TAMPA, FL - JUNE 03: Layla the bat dogs retrieves Adam Haseley's bat from around home plate during the Florida State League game between the Florida Fire Frogs and the Clearwater Threshers on June 03, 2018, at Spectrum Field in Clearwater, FL. (Photo by Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire)Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire


Layla drops in on Clearwater Threshers games during their Dog Days of Summer promo nights. (Mark LoMoglio/MiLB.com)


Greensboro's Master Yogi Berra had an accident on the field in 2009, prompting him to be ejected (yes, really) by an umpire. (Dano Keeney/MiLB.com)


Jake the Diamond Dog (the name has been passed down) has been entertaining Minor League fans for more than 20 years. (Emily Jones/MiLB.com)

Deuce, who replaced Dinger, was a familiar site for a decade in Myrtle Beach. He retired in 2018, and the Pelicans have since welcomed Slider.

07 JUN 2013: during the South Atlantic League game between the Asheville Tourists and the Charleston RiverDogs at Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park in Charleston, SC.Cliff Welch/Icon SMI


Titus is the spokesdog for Canines for Veterans of Charleston. He helped fetch bats on Fridays in Charleston for the RiverDogs. (Cliff Welch/ MiLB.com)


Greensboro's bat dog, Miss Babe Ruth, seen in 2013. (Kevin Pataky/MiLB.com)
Miss Babe retired and Little Jackie Robinson currently holds the position in Greensboro:

Trenton Thunder bat dog, Derby, retrieves a bat during an Eastern League game in Trenton - Ken Inness/MiLB.com


Trenton's former bat dog, Derby, seen here in 2014. (Kevin Pataky/MiLB.com)


Brooks, who was originally trained as a guide dog, is the current bat dog for the Double-A Frisco RoughRiders. Clearly, he's part of the team. (RoughRiders)
And we can't forget Chase, another in the long line of Trenton bat dogs:

Danny Wild is an editor for MiLB.com. Follow his MLBlog column, Minoring in Twitter.