Minor league baseball is a cost-effective way to enjoy watching a game live without breaking the bank. Sometimes, you see future stars or a current star doing a rehab stint. However, the minors make sure you have fun no matter what. Even the team names are fun – the Greensboro Grasshoppers, the Asheville Tourists, the cleverly named Vancouver Canadians, and my personal favorite, the Rocket City Trash Pandas. You don't even need to like baseball to have a good time. They have hilarious promotions, like when the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp held a Public Domain Night, wearing jerseys featuring Van Gogh's Starry Night, Steamboat Willie, and King Kong.
Some teams have bat dogs. Finn the Bat Dog is a black lab who has been retrieving bats for the Las Vegas Aviators since 2018. In 2019, Finn gained internet notoriety when an umpire snatched up a bat before Finn could pick it up. Fans were not pleased.
Finn also brings out bottles of water for the umpires, although it's possible he held a bit of a grudge after the previous incident.
In 2022, Finn was joined by his little sister, Lambo, making them the first bat dog duo in the minors.
Finn is approaching the ripe old dog age of twelve and is set to retire after performing his duties at his final game on April 19th. The team will be without a bat dog upon Finn's retirement, but the odds are good that there will be a new one soon.
