Having bat dog friends has been key to my success since becoming a bat dog and bat dog friend Rookie has been instrumental in my development. We have a small community of bat dogs out there and they and their handlers have provided helpful advice and tips while I was just starting out.
I’d like to acknowledge those bat dog friends who have become inspirational, influential and such tremendous supporters since my bat dog training.
Bat Dog Friend Rookie
Rookie is currently the bat dog for the Trenton Thunder, the Double-A affiliate for the New York Yankees. Much like the Yankees rich tradition, the Thunder have a rich tradition of their own. Bat dogs.
Rookie is not a rookie any more, having retrieved baseball bats for the Thunder starting in 2013. But Rookie wasn’t the one to invent the bat retrieving game. Far from it. Rookie’s grandfather, Chase, was the original bat dog for the Trenton Thunder from 2000 – 2013.
Rookie’s dad Derby worked as the Trenton Thunder Bat Dog from 2008 – 2018. Rookie took over bat dog duties from his dad Derby and is now in the process of passing the torch to Dash. Dash debuted in 2022 and will take over full time once Rookie retires.
The Trenton Thunder Bat Dogs were the inspiration for me to become a bat dog after my dad saw the E:60 piece on Chase and Derby.
Rookie was also instrumental in offering advice when I was struggling in my first few games with the OC Riptide. Rookie suggested we do not retrieve bats when a player walks or gets hit by a pitch. The confusion of the bat thrown back to the on-deck circle and the player’s taking off all their protective guards was just too distracting. Thanks to communicating with Rookie over social media we corrected that and I had much more success after that.
Like me, Rookie has a presence on social media. Please follow Rookie on Instagram (@batdogrookie) and on X (@batdogrookie)
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