New bat dog for Clearwater Threshers, Philadelphia's Single-A affiliate, makes unforgettable debut
CLEARWATER, Fla. (CBS) -- A furry friend of the Phillies is taking center stage this weekend and we aren't talking about the Phanatic.
Lucy May, the Clearwater Threshers' newest bat dog, had herself a field day during her third-inning debut at BayCare Ballpark Friday evening.
The Single-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies, the Threshers, AKA the Clearwater Beach Dogs, may have fallen to the Dunedin Blue Jays in Friday's matchup, but the team will surely remember the game for a different reason.
Ten-month-old Lucy May is taking over her adopted older sister Layla's job as the Threshers' bat dog. Layla retired during a game in July but introduced Lucy May in an official transfer of the bat-retrieval duties on Friday.
Needless to say, the newest bat dog's debut was nothing short of extremely eventful.
Lucy May’s debut was more entertaining than we ever could have imagined 😂💩 pic.twitter.com/c96CfmRz2Y
— Clearwater Beach Dogs (@Threshers) August 24, 2024
Instead of retrieving a bat after being let off her leash at the bottom of the third, Lucy May saw the field and made it her own -- literally.
The 10-month-old pup ran laps around the field before dropping into the visitors' dugout to say hi to the Blue Jays. Lucy May's adventure continued as she dodged personnel and baseball bats before popping a squat on the infield, not once but twice.
The adventurous yellow Lab raced to her handler, who let her try her paw at bat handling again, which she ultimately ditched for another round of play.
The pup's thrill lasted just under two minutes.
The Threshers said on X Saturday that they couldn't be mad at Lucy May even if they tried.
Couldn’t be mad at this sweet face if we tried 🩵🐶
— Clearwater Beach Dogs (@Threshers) August 24, 2024
Lucy May is only 10 months old! She jumped into training when Layla had to step down, and even though she doesn’t have it quite right, she is 1000% KEEPING her job! pic.twitter.com/CxYARZjkN1
The new bat pup is six years younger than Layla was when she first started as a bat dog, the team wrote on X.
"She's got lots of time until our home opener in April, and we know she'll get it just right soon," the Threshers post read in part.
The Threshers play the Blue Jays again Saturday at 6:30 p.m. This time around though, the team promised there will be "no pooping on the field tonight."