Love the sentiment and while the local fans may know who Derby is, the promotional schedule lacks some detail. Here is some background.
(ESPN) – The Trenton Thunder, a minor league affiliate of the New York Yankees, have announced their bat-fetching dog, Derby, has died of cancer.
“Derby was one of the biggest parts of our identity in the nine years of his life and it breaks my heart to share this news with our fans ahead of our 25th season,” Thunder general manager Jeff Hurley said in a statement.
The nearly 10-year-old golden retriever began gathering bats for the Thunder as a 2-year-old in 2010. Derby was the son of Chase, the Double-A affiliate’s first professional fetcher. Chase also died of cancer, in 2013 at the age of 13.
Derby was a second generation bat retrieval dog for the Thunder. He will be honored next week along with a card set for the first 1,025 fans. Thoughtful touch for beloved member of the Thunder family.
In one week – we remember a very very good boy.
Bat Dog Appreciation Day is next Mondayhttps://t.co/dZubwqflD5 pic.twitter.com/0OkpOwsblf
— Trenton Thunder (@TrentonThunder) June 25, 2018
July 2 vs. New Hampshire Fisher Cats
Derby Commemorative Baseball Card Set Giveaway
First 1,025 fans ages 6 and older
Bat Dog Celebration
And the tradition continues with Rookie, the newest Bat Dog. Here is Rookie’s debut earlier this year.
