Who’s a good boy? The newest member of the Durham Bulls baseball team, that’s who.
We don’t know everything about the newest entry on the Durham Bulls roster, but we do know this: he’s a very good boy.
Durham’s Triple-A baseball team announced on Thursday the addition of Ripken the Bat Dog, who will be on the job this season for select home games.
Ripken, a three-year-old black lab, is already the official bat dog for the Holly Springs Salamanders baseball club. According to his social media bio, he’s also the spokesdog for Sit Means Sit dog training in Apex.
Ripken trains with Michael O’Donnell, owner of Sit Means Sit, to keep his bat-retrieving skills sharp, ABC11 reported in 2019.
Ripken tweeted the news on Thursday, expressing his eagerness to work with the Bulls: “BIG NEWS!!! I got called up to AAA! I’m so excited I’m going to celebrate with a dog bone, my favorite tennis ball and belly rubs all night! Can’t wait to join my new team!”
The Durham Bulls, the Triple-A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays, open the season with a seven-game homestand from April 9 through April 15.
See the full schedule and learn more about the team at milb.com/durham.
The News & Observer reached out to Ripken (and his people) for comment but hasn’t heard back yet.
This story was originally published February 28, 2020 at 4:08 PM.
