I have three passions in life – baseball, dogs, and coffee, in no particular order. I was drinking my morning coffee this past week while our new golden retriever watched me turn on my laptop. It was time to write my weekly baseball blog but I felt that my pen (or mouse) was running a bit low. I turned to her, “any ideas”? Her warm gaze clearly expressed, “write about me”. Okay then, let’s give it a shot, “Baseball and Dogs”!

Let’s tackle the subject on the diamond from a pure baseball perspective. There have been a handful of great MLB players with dog nicknames. How about the best of the pack, Fred “Crime Dog” McGriff, a perennial All-Star first baseman who played for six teams (1986-2004). Nicknamed after “McGruff the Crime Dog”, McGriff was a prolific power hitter, driving in more than 80 RBIs for 15 consecutive seasons. His all-time playoff stats are outstanding – batting average of .303 with 10 HRs and 37 RBIs. Lifetime, he maintained a .284 average while belting 493 HRs and 2,490 RBIs. He had a quite a few tricks in his bag, completing his career third overall in fielding double plays and ninth in assists as a first baseman. McGriff was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2023.

A dog who made the Hall for his pitching exploits was of course Greg “Mad Dog” Maddux, who pitched in 23 seasons for the Cubs and Braves. His overall career was truly remarkable, highlighted clearly by a four-year span (1992-1995) when he won the Cy Young each season, had a 75-29 win-loss record, and recorded an ERA of 1.98. The 1995 season culminated with an Atlanta world championship. Mad Dog (named that for his aggressive style) is only one of ten pitchers who ever achieved more than 300 wins (355) and 3,000 (3,371) strikeouts. Not known as a power pitcher, his crafty way of working pitches around the plate baffled not only batters, but caused home plate umpires to widen the zone often to his benefit. He too was not a one trick show dog, as he won a record 18 Gold Gloves on the mound. Maddux is in the Cubs, Braves, and MLB Hall of Fames, and has his number retired (31) by both the Cubs and Braves.

There are a number of MLB players with strong attachments to their dogs, most notably Shohei Ohtani and his dog “Decoy”, a Kooikerhondje. The Dodgers have made Decoy a fixture at Dodger Stadium, naming him the team’s Most Valuable Pet. You might recall Ohtani receiving the MVP award in 2023 with a young pup Decoy sitting in his lap. Decoy has gone on to have his own line of merchandise and even received an honorary visa by the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo. Decoy has “thrown” a ceremonial first pitch, and was also the subject of a bobblehead giveaway day. I guess you might say he is clearly a Top Dog.

We even have seen some famous bat dogs. My dog’s personal favorites are Chase, Derby, Rookie, and Dash, four generations of golden retrievers with a minor league team, the Trenton Thunder, formerly a Yankee affiliate. The dogs are trained to perform all sorts of tasks – retrieve bats from the home plate area; get water for the umpires; and play catch with the fans. Chase, the first of the breed, has always been the most famous. Before his retirement in 2013, Chase was honored at Yankee Stadium. The Thunder threw him a retirement party with the first 2,000 fans receiving a Chase bobblehead. Chase’s offspring have now picked up the pace as bat dogs in his honor.

And then there’s the dog you actually didn’t want to see on the playing surface, “Schottzie”, a huge Saint Bernard who was the Reds mascot during the late 1980s and early 1990s. Schottzie was the family dog of Reds then owner, Marge Schott, who made her money in the car business and came upon the MLB ownership scene with lots and lots of fluff, shall we say. Schott was often seen smoking a cigarette in the on field ownership seats and proudly watching her pup on the field. While Schottzie was cute, there was way too much of him, as he was eventually banned from the game by MLB executives due to complaints from players. Who let the dog out? I guess Marge did.

Nowadays, many ballparks, including MLB ones, host “Bark at the Park” or “Pups in the Park” games, where fans are invited to bring their beloved dogs to the game. It’s always a big hit at Cincinnati’s Great American Ballpark and Chicago’s Rate Field. The games include pet-friendly seating areas, dog parades, giveaways, and pre-game on field activities. My favorite one happens to be at nearby Impact Field, which is the home of an independent league team, the Chicago Dogs. The team opened its gates in 2018 to the fans and dogs, but interestingly, wasn’t named after a dog but rather a hot dog. It’s an easy mistake to make.

Speaking of “hot dogs”, is there a better smell in the world than the aroma of a hot dog freshly made on the grill at a ballpark? I don’t think so. A couple of the more famous ballpark dogs are the “Chicago-style hot dog” at Wrigley Field and the “Dodger Dog” at Dodger Stadium. The Chicago hot dog has seven toppings with a poppy seed bun – mustard; onion; relish; peppers; tomatoes; pickle; and celery salt, but most importantly, NO KETCHUP! The Dodger Dog is a 10-inch hot dog wrapped in a steamed bun. And please don’t forget the famous sausage races in Milwaukee where Brewer fans are treated with a mascot race among Brat, Polish Sausage, Italian Sausage, Hot Dog, and Chorizo!

So this summer when you are having one of those “dog day afternoons”, think of me and shoot me a topic that you would like me to discuss in an upcoming piece. My dog and I would be grateful.

Until next Monday,

your Baseball Bench Coach