N.J. Minor Leagues: Thunder does a Dog-gone Good Job
By Akilah Nelson, Star-Ledger Staff, July 6, 2003

When he’s not at the ballpark, the Trenton Thunder’s bat boy brings in the newspaper, runs around the backyard and chills with the family cat in front of the television. For every home game, he arrives at Waterfront Park in the morning and often stays until midnight. He collects bats and delivers bottled water to the umpires. To entertain fans, he catches Frisbees between innings.
   
He works like a dog. Because, well, he is one. But Chase, the red-haired golden retriever who fetches bats for the Yankees’ Double-A farm team, also is a celebrity. He receives louder ovations than Derek Jeter, and kids reach out to touch him like he’s a rock star. He signs autographs (okay, it’s really just a rubber stamp of a paw print) and has his own highlight video.     
In the souvenir shop, a Chase plush doll sells for $15. There is also a Chase T-shirt — Jeter has one hanging in his locker at Yankee Stadium — and a Chase minibat for fans of the 3-year-old canine.
    
New Jersey’s most famous bat dog has had his chompers on the lumber of stars like Jeter and Bernie Williams, but he always picks the bats up near the label, never near the handle, and he never leaves a mark. Jeter became one of Chase’s biggest fans during the Yankees shortstop’s rehab stint in Trenton this spring.
    
“I didn’t know what was going on,” Jeter said. “I’d heard about it. The next thing I knew, there was a dog on the field. I guess it saves money. You don’t have to pay a batboy.
    
“I wouldn’t say it’s strange. I’d say it’s unique. I don’t know how many teams have dogs running out there getting bats. But it makes it fun for the fans. (The minor leagues) come up with all kinds of stuff. It’s good for the fans. It keeps the fans interested. They always have something going on.”
    
After an at-bat, Chase waits for the signal, then darts onto the field to fetch the bat. Fans love him. And he loves the attention. But all that work can tire him out.
    
It was early on a Sunday morning before a game, and Chase was lying on his side at general manager Rick Brenner’s feet, dozing in the cool of the office air conditioning. “He had a long night,” Brenner said as he leaned over to rub the dog’s belly. “We were here until midnight yesterday for a night game. That means he was here, too. We were back here early this morning.”
    
When Brenner stopped rubbing, Chase looked at him, wanting more. He has grown so accustomed to being petted. At a game, without much coaxing, Chase will lower himself to the floor and surrender to the hundreds of little hands that reach to stroke his auburn fur. He has grown accustomed to the occasional tail pull from an overzealous youngster, an occupational hazard. Brenner said Chase never has reacted angrily.
    
“This dog is not aggressive in any way at all,” Brenner said. “He barely bites his food. And he never jumps on people. He’s so gentle, and laid back.”
    
Chase’s trainer, Jeff Marchal, says the dog was born for this kind of job. “He understands people and that people are different and he adjusts to them. I didn’t teach him that, but it helped me to teach him the other things,” Marchal said.
    
Marchal’s first baseball pooch was Jake the Diamond Dog, a traveling bat dog who occasionally visited Waterfront Park. Sam Plummer, a former member of the Thunder board, fell in love with Jake and decided the Thunder should have a dog of its own. Brenner loved the idea. He contacted Marchal, who owns the Lima, Ohio-based Canines, and two years later, Chase made his Waterfront Park debut.
    
“It’s hard to create a bond with a dog and then up and let him loose,” Marchal said. “But I left (Chase) with Rick, and I knew he would be in good hands. Rick has done a wonderful job with Chase.”
    
Since Chase arrived in Trenton nearly a year ago, he and Brenner have become a modern day Turner and Hooch. Chase belongs to the team, but Brenner takes care of him. At home in Pennington, Brenner said, Chase is like any other dog. In the morning, he brings in the paper. He chases squirrels, plays in the yard and hangs out with Brenner’s cat, who originally resented the dog. Chase won her over, as he does with everyone else.
    
Chase also has won over the players, which could be tough for a dog who is slobbering on the prized piece of lumber that holds their major-league dreams. “It’s definitely different, but it doesn’t bother me,” outfielder Jason Maule said. “Some guys are superstitious about their bats and how they are handled, but not me. I think he might be good luck. I hope it’ll bring me a hit or something.”
    
To the fans, Chase brings a smile. “We don’t come here to see Chase,” said George DeCesare, a fan from Newtown, Pa. “But he’s a great sideshow. I’ve never seen him drop a bat yet. We can’t have a dog because my wife has allergies. My daughter loves dogs, though, and it’s great to be able to see Chase here. We sit right down by the field, so we can’t miss him.”

Article Copyright 2003 NJ.com. All Rights Reserved. Thanks to Team Photographer Dave Schofield for the photos provided above.