The best thing about a retirement party for a dog is that it's a retirement party ... FOR A DOG.
Ahead of her final game on Sept. 2, the Greensboro Grasshoppers team of North Carolina honored its bat dog, Miss Babe Ruth, over the weekend with a fête fitting for a lady who's served nearly 10 years with the team, according to local affiliate WFMY.
She showed up to the park in style, in a flashy red car and frilly orange tuxedo. Looking good, girl!
When she ends her career this week, the 9-year-old black Labrador retriever will have appeared in 649 consecutive games for the Class-A affiliate team for the Florida Marlins, the outlet said. She began as just a 9-month-old pup with the Grasshoppers, retrieving bats and bringing baseballs to the home plate umpire.
As with other baseball teams, the service of bat dogs will stay within the family in Greensboro. Cut4 reported that Babe's brother, Master Yogi Berra, and her niece, Miss Lou Lou Gehrig will take over duties of retrieving bats and delivering baseballs in buckets.
Babe's own bucket, however, is earning its place in history, the team announced. It will be donated to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York.
Fans who attended the party also received a Miss Babe Ruth coaster.
Enjoy the retired life, Miss Babe! And if you need more bat dogs (of course you do), ESPN recently profiled the long lineage of bat dogs at the Trenton Thunder.
All the dogs! All the baseball!
H/T Cut4
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