It is with a heavy heart and tremendous sadness to share that Finn the Bat Dog, the beloved bat dog for the Las Vegas Aviators, has crossed the Rainbow Bridge. The bat dog community is a small one and Finn was a giant in our community.
Finn the Bat Dog Sudden Retirement
Retrieving bats and entertaining fans for the Las Vegas Aviators (Triple-A affiliate of the Oakland A’s) for years, Finn worked his last minor league game on Friday, April 19, 2024. At the time, many did not know his sudden retirement was a predecessor to his passing.
Finn the Bat Dog, a black Labrador Retriever, was part of the Las Vegas baseball landscape since 2016. At the time of his retirement, he was 11 years-old. He crossed the Rainbow Bridge in October 2024 due to cancer.
It is with heavy hearts that we share the passing of our longtime bat dog, Finn. For years, Finn brought joy, excitement, and so much love to everyone at Las Vegas Ballpark and to all of you—our incredible fans.
Finn wasn’t just a part of the team, he was family. His wagging… pic.twitter.com/tOfmxP1fVx
— Las Vegas Aviators (@AviatorsLV) October 21, 2024
The suddenness of Finn the Bat Dog’s retirement announcement came as a surprise. Many speculated that because of his age, an undisclosed illness prompted his retirement before completing the minor league baseball season. Little did people know that within six months, we would lose Finn to cancer.
Finn Goes Viral
Finn the Bat Dog’s most famous moment came April 6, 2019 during an extremely windy night in Las Vegas. As Finn came out to retrieve a bat, the umpire grabbed it and tossed it away. Undaunted from his job, Finn went after the still-rolling bat, snatching it between his teeth all thew while the boos reigned down on the home plate umpire.
The reason why we mention the windy night, apparently Finn became distracted by something; possibly a blowing paper cup or napkin. The umpire tossed the bat back towards the on deck circle to help move the game along. The fans took this as the umpire was frustrated with Finn and the ump received chastising boos from the crowd. Watch the video and you decide for yourself.
Despite the sadness of his passing, Finn’s owner Fred Hansen comforted fans telling them he enjoyed his retirement. In an article appearing in the Las Vegas review-Journal, Hansen said, “He loved to swim and he got to do that nearly every day in retirement.”
Although we never got to meet Finn the Bat Dog, we are deeply saddened to hear of the his crossing the Rainbow Bridge. The good news remains that Ruin, a Belgian Malinois that helped Finn in recent years, will retrieve bats in the coming season. You can follow his adventures on Finn’s X (formerly Twitter) account.
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