A dog named Ripken has been dreaming of being an athlete. And it seems that it’s already happening now. Apparently, he is a member of three baseball teams as their official bat dog and he couldn’t be more excited to show off his athletic skills.
Read on to learn more about Ripken’s journey to sports stardom.
Ripken’s beginnings
According to Melissa O’Donnell, Ripken’s mom, the baseball team Durham Bulls signed the dog to the squad during the 2019-2020 off-season. The adorable pup even had his own signing day. As the team’s official bat dog, it was his job to fetch bats.
Now, Ripken is fetching bats not only for Durham Bulls but also for Holly Springs Salamanders and the North Carolina State Baseball team. The North Carolina State University has even offered the dog a job as the official retriever of kicking tees.
O’Donnell proudly says that Ripken is now an athlete with two sports.
Ripken is not the first dog in his bloodline who enjoys retrieving jobs for sporting events. O’Donnell explains that Cowboy Kohl, Ripken’s father, was the former kicking tee retriever for the football team of Boise State University.
What Ripken enjoys when he’s not in sporting events
Being a retriever for various sports teams, Ripken’s schedule is definitely hectic. O’Donnell says that while other families plot schedules based on their kids’ activities, her family plans theirs around Ripken’s games, photoshoots, and interviews.
When Ripken is not on the field, he is usually found by his dad’s side. Whenever his dad is working in the backyard or going on hikes, Ripken is there. Nevertheless, Ripken likes lying in his favorite bed together with Bruschi, his 14-year-old brother.
He also takes part in kids’ T-ball matches as a bat fetcher. He loves belly rubs, and he seems to have an obsession with the fridge; he runs to it every time he hears the sound of the ice dispenser.
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Source: @ripkenthebatdog via TikTok
