Chicago Cubs Minor League Squad Adds Dog To Roster
I'm honestly not sure why he ever left.
I'm assuming it's COVID related but that doesn't make much sense since you think it would be actually safer because dogs can't catch COVID. Maybe there wasn't enough paw sanitizer for Slider. Who knows, it would just be another pandemic decision that didn't make a lot of sense.
Anyway..
Slider is has been the bat dog for the Pelicans in the past. The Myrtle Beach Pelicans are the Cubs Low-A affiliate. You can check out his work in this very adorable video.
He returns to work on one of the best ballpark promotions in baseball at any level: Bark in the Park Night. A wonderful promotion that has been used from the major league to every minor league park in the country. The Rockford Rivets just had one on Monday night.
I'm not sure how much training is needed for a bat dog, but they should be standard in all ballparks. All you hear about is how baseball is dying and no one is interested in the sport anymore. Dogs are a surefire way to fix that.
Why stop at bat dogs? Here are some animals that I would like to see be used as equipment gathering slaves attractions.
Pigs:
Apparently pigs are just as smart as dogs. A lot of people have them as pets. I think they're strong enough to carry a bat. Plus they can be kind of cute.
Cows:
Did you know that cows will play like dogs? Does that make you feel a little bit guiltier about that cheeseburger? I know it does for me. I will not stop eating cheeseburgers though. Another downside would be cowpiles on the field. Not ideal.
Crows:
Crows are awesome. Training them wouldn't be a problem, they're considerably smarter than dogs. I'm not sure if they can lift a bat with their beak BUT they obviously can use tools so maybe they can teach them to loop a strap around the end and pull it back to the dugout. This seems unlikely, but very cool.
Horse:
Obviously strong enough to handle a bat. Possibly too stubborn to train. Also like the cow, you have some serious landmine problems. Also, horses can be mean. I take this one back, no horses at baseball games.
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