The family that trained Ripken The Bat Dog — best known for fetching bats and football kicking tees during sporting events in North Carolina — says the black Labrador has died.
In a Facebook post Friday, the O’Donnell family said Ripken died Wednesday due to complications “from a serious undiagnosed medical condition.”
The 8-year-old Ripken’s history in the spotlight included retrieving bats for Durham Bulls minor-league baseball games and kicking tees during NC State college football games at Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh.
Ripken participated in a ceremonial puck drop for the NHL Stadium Series outdoor game between the Carolina Hurricanes and Washington Capitals in 2023 at Carter-Finley.
His last appearance was retrieving a kicking tee during a Dec. 22 home game for the NFL’s Carolina Panthers in Charlotte.
The O’Donnell family wrote that Ripken “was happiest when he was surrounded by people and making friends (and maybe eating a hot dog or two).”
The Bulls, the triple-A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays, NC State and the Panthers all honored Ripken in social-media posts Friday.
The Bulls wrote Ripken “put smiles on so many adoring fans’ faces,” while NC State thanked Ripken “for bringing so much joy to Wolfpack Nation.”
New York Post
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