By JANIE McCAULEY AP Baseball Writer
A ballpark-tested Golden Retriever named Bruce is going to the major leagues to scoop up bats on baseball’s biggest stage for the Washington Nationals after the team said he worked his tail off in the minors.
Yes, Bruce is the team’s “Top Paw-spect” at 21 months old — in people years.
The Nationals shared the wonderful news Tuesday that Bruce the Bat Dog has been called up, set to make his major league debut Saturday at home against the Miami Marlins — his promotion perfectly timed for Pups in the Park day at Nationals Park.
He won’t be on the field during live game action, however, just for a pregame ceremonial bat retrieval. And the dog will return to Triple-A duties afterward, a spokesperson said.
Bruce was credited by the organization’s front office for “working your tail off” to earn this opportunity. The Nats said Bruce owns a 1.000 retrieving average in three games for Rochester this year and will make a fourth start in Rochester on Friday before traveling to Washington.
The club unveiled an announcement for the dog’s special day featuring three photos of Bruce under “Welcome to The Show Bruce the Bat Dog” — and stated ”no rules that say a dog can’t play baseball.”
Triple-A manager Matthew LeCroy even brought the pooch into his office to give him the great news, and the Nationals posted video of the moment on their social media.
“Hey, I got some news for you, I think you’re going to like it,” LeCroy said. “You know last year you got called up to Triple-A, did a really nice job but we still thought we needed some work down at the lower levels. … You did a nice job coming back to Triple-A this year, but I’m excited to tell you the front office, the GM, the president, the owners, they’re excited to invite you to Nats Park for your call up to the major leagues on June 14.”
More kind wishes poured in, and one fan called the move “pawsome.” The Nationals have never seen him turn down signing a “pawtograph.”
“Our fans and front office are always excited to see our players get promoted to the Nationals, but Bruce’s promotion is a historic call-up to the big leagues that he richly deserves,” Rochester Red Wings General Manager Dan Mason said. “Nobody makes people smile more than Bruce, and I’m sure he’ll do a WOOFtastic job for the Nats! He has proven himself to be ready for the show in a very short time and has earned the phenom status that has been bestowed upon him. He’ll put on a doggone great show for Nats fans on June 14.”