Trenton Thunder bat dog, Rookie, shines as late father, Derby, is honored

Daniel LoGiudice | Asbury Park Press

Show Caption Hide Caption Rookie, the 3rd generation Bat Dog for Trenton Thunder Trenton Thunder's third-generation bat dog Rookie, a 4-year-old Golden Retriever in action at ARM & HAMMER Park in Trenton.

TRENTON - Trenton Thunder bat dog Rookie is a very popular boy at Arm & Hammer Park.

Rookie, a 4-year-old golden retriever, walked up to anyone and every one who would scratch him behind the ears or rub his belly on Monday night in the offices of the New York Yankees’ Double-A affiliate, located in the bowels of the Thunders’ home stadium. The team’s staff was just as eager to oblige Rookie and give him some much-deserved attention as the pup basked in the love.

He’s the team’s bat dog. That means Rookie, instead of the traditional bat boy, jogs up to retrieve a hitter’s tossed baseball bat after each at-bat.

Monday was a very special and emotional day for Rookie. Before the Thunder’s 7 p.m. game against the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, the team honored Rookie’s father, Derby, the Thunder’s former bat dog who passed away over the winter at the age of 10.

With Rookie, sister Mickie, the only two puppies born to their litter, and mother Reba sitting along the first base line on a hot, sticky, summer night, a video montage played in honor of Derby. The ceremony also highlighted Rookie’s grandfather, Chase, who passed away in 2013. Chase became the Thunder’s first bat dog and perhaps the first ever in Minor League Baseball in 2003.

For 15 years, the family legacy of canine bat retrieval has been a exceptional practice unique to the Thunder.

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“I think it’s great to honor Derby, who has been with us and carried on the tradition to Rookie of being our bat dog every day,” said Jeff Hurley, general manager of Trenton Thunder. “The family lineage that we’ve put together has been great, starting with Chase, moving on to Derby and now Rookie. Being able to keep it in the family has been special and has brought even more attention to the dogs.”

Rookie worked with his father for the last three years, picking up pointers. Derby was the master, Rookie the apprentice. The father’s tutelage was invaluable to his son.

This season, it’s been Rookie’s turn to take over for his father. Rookie grabbed the bat by the barrel in his jaws and ran back to the home dugout in the first inning of Monday's game just as he has all year long. Perfect execution.

“I think this year, he realized, ‘I have to take the reigns, it’s my show to run,’” Hurley said. “He’s been flawless all year.”

It's Rookie's spotlight, and he embraces it. Whether he's greeting fans in the front plaza of the stadium, taking in the cheers of the crowd while he does his job or fetches is plush baseball bat toy in the Thunder offices before the game, Rookie is in his element.

The fans get a kick out of him, but Rookie’s presence can be uplifting for the players, too. Playing in Minor League Baseball is a notoriously tough job, with long, tedious road trips and the great distance from home weighing on the players, but Rookie is a friendly reminder of the players’ own families and pets, back home.

“A lot of players aren’t from here, they’re from all over the country, all over the world, and when they come to Trenton, it’s a piece of home,” Hurley said. “A lot of them have dogs or have been around dogs their entire lives, so when they see the dogs on the field, in the clubhouse and around the office, I think it’s a sense of comfort for them. A lot of the players who have come through here have taken to the dogs and treated them like their own.”

The Thunder also invited fans to bring their own dogs to the ballpark on Monday. Dozens of dogs of different sizes and breeds roamed the seats and concourse all night long as bowls of ice-cold water were provided for the thirsty pups.

The dog owners in the crowd easily related to the story of the Thunder bat dogs. Just as Rookie and his predecessors, whose images are plastered all over the stadium and underground offices, are a part of the Trenton Thunder team, the dogs in the stands are members of their owners' families.

"Dogs are like one of the kids," said Mindy Harvey, mother of 5-year-old Labradors Cody and Paige. "Even though they're not therapy dogs, they're a part of therapy. Less stress."

There may have been more pomp on Monday night than at an average game, but it was just another day in the life of Rookie. He'll be back at the Thunder offices at 9 a.m. every morning for the rest of the season, preparing for his important duty.

Daniel LoGiudice: @danny_logiudice; dlogiudice@gannettnj.com.