You don't send a boy to do a dog's job. That's what the Greensboro Grasshoppers believe, at least. In a clubhouse where players are constantly coming and going due to the ever-changing nature of A Ball rosters, 'bat dogs' Babe Ruth and Yogi Berra are the two mainstays at Greensboro's NewBridge Bank Park.
The first time you see the two black labs sitting by the side of the dugout, you can't help but tilt your head in curiosity- 'What's going on? Hmm, why is there a dog on the field? Uh oh, he's walking towards the plate- Hey, grab him!' In your mind, baseball and dogs have never been associated- it doesn't make sense.
Well in Greensboro, it makes perfect sense. Every night is 'Bark at the Park' night with these two on hand, and to be totally honest, they're probably the best 'bat boys' in the league. (They're definitely the best 'bat dogs').
They're awesome. Unlike the usual cast of pre-pubescent bat retrievers, these canines are never distracted- they know their job, they don't get confused, and there's no chance of stepping in their gum that they carelessly spit onto the dugout floor- which I'm only assuming is no fun. Nope, with these dogs it's all business.
Merry Christmas to all MLU readers! I want to thank every one who has checked out my new blog. It's a fun way to spend the off-season and it's only gonna get bigger and more detailed once spring training picks up.
Please help me spread the word. I feel that there are tons of people out there wondering what life as a minor leaguer is like, or even just looking for a site that covers all things baseball, so if you've enjoyed what you've read so far, please tell your friends!
I am always looking for feedback so please contact me if you have any suggestions, critiques, requests, comments, anything- I work a desk job during the day so I guarantee I'll get back to you instantly. You can email me at MinorLeagueUniversity@gmail.com or friend me on Facebook (Scotty Smalls), or even follow me on Twitter (@MinorLeagueU). Yep, I've pretty much got the whole social media world covered- except MySpace of course, which for some reason I associate with weirdos and creeps.
I'm heading home for Christmas weekend- "Wait, I thought all bloggers lived in their mother's basement?"- so this will be my last post until after the holiday, but MLU will be back and better than ever starting Monday. Future posts to look forward to include an inside look at the MiLB off-season, a baseball movie character All-Star game, my take on pimpin' homeruns, countless Dugout Vocabulary, and much, much more. Have an idea for something you'd like me to cover? Send me a message and I'd love to check it out- I'm always looking for new ideas.
So throw Minor League University under the Favorite Places tab and check us out daily for coverage of the freshest topics in baseball.
