Ripken the Bat Dog is a big crowd favorite when he runs out onto the field to help his teammates on the Durham Bulls. Every time he fetches the bat there are cheers from the audience and Ripken is a happy dog.
At a recent baseball game, however, there was a slight “hiccup” when Ripken went out to fetch the bat only to have a player get to it before him. That didn’t please the crowd one bit!
Ripken’s GoPro, which he has attached to his back, captured the funny moment:
The player leans down to get the bat as Ripken runs out onto the field. When Ripken sees the man pick up the bat he hesitates. What is he supposed to do now? That’s when the crowd pitches in to help – booing the player.
“Wait did the dog stop and wait for him to put it back down? I love it,” commented one viewer on social media. Ripken the Bat Dog’s official social media account responded by writing, “Yes, yes I did.”
Another viewer wrote, “Really felt for the dog when it saw the guy pick up the bat, and it just stopped, not sure what to do. Glad the player realized and threw the bat though. The universe is back in balance.”
That’s what Ripken the Bat Dog thought too and captioned the video, “At least he realized his mistake!”
It’s not the first time a player has reached for the bat only to be chastised. “My teammates are still learning the bats are mine!” Ripken the Bat Dog explains in the video below. They’re new to it, having gotten used to fetching the bats themselves.
Thankfully, more often than not, Ripken can do his job without a hitch. His new team love him and he now gets kisses and cuddles from the players too!
He’s definitely part of the team.
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