The Rochester Red Wings have lost a four-legged friend. On Monday, the team announced the death of its beloved bat dog, Milo.
He started out as just another Minor League Baseball gimmick: Instead of a bat boy, why not train a golden retriever to bring bats back to the dugout?
The Wings' promotions director, Tim Doohan, found a friend with a dog, and Milo made his debut in two games in 2019. When COVID shut down the 2020 season, Milo became a social media star — and then something more.
Fans who might not have been able to name a single two-legged player turned out on Milo nights, cheering as his owner Josh Snyder sent him trotting on to the field. His tail wagged with every bat he retrieved. It also wagged on souvenir bobble-tails, T-shirts and even plush Milo toys.
Thank you for all the memories! ❤️❤️❤️ pic.twitter.com/ZpwRLEmxrK
— Rochester Red Wings (@RocRedWings) May 8, 2023
They called him "the goodest boy," and he did good, too, raising money for local charities through meet-and-greets — or rather, meet-and-pets.
Milo was set for a record eight appearances this season, starting on Opening Day, but it was not to be. After his last outing at the end of April, he was diagnosed with liver disease.
Baseball is a game of statistics. Josh Snyder says he doesn't know how many bats Milo fetched in his career, but he knows how many people his dog loved ... "every single one," he said.
Milo was 7.
