Black Labrador Retriever Scores Gig Of A Lifetime & Makes Millions Of Fans Fall In Love With Him
When it comes to baseball, we've all heard of "bat boys" and "bat girls," but are you familiar with Champ the "bat dog"? Yes, 2-year-old Champ is an official baseball bat retriever for the minor league Durham Bulls in North Carolina — and the black Labrador retriever is a hit with millions of fans who have fallen in love with him.
@durhambulls Champ the Bat Dog LOCKED IN for Dom Keegan's at-bat ⚾️
In a TikTok video uploaded by the Bulls, you can see Champ eagerly waiting on the sidelines to be sent out to retrieve a dropped bat after a player makes a hit. "Champ the Bat Dog LOCKED IN for Dom Keegan's at-bat ⚾️," reads the caption, while zooming in on the pup that was born and raised for the job, intently watching the player and waiting for his time to shine. As soon as the bat hits the ground and is ready for pickup, Champ runs out and grabs the piece of equipment in his mouth and happily runs off as fans cheer. "The crowd loves him!!" notes the video before calling him "The goodest boy."
"I'd be watching the dog the whole game," stated one enamored viewer, as someone else suggested that "every team should adopt a rescue and make them a bat dog." Meanwhile, one person perfectly summed up the clip by declaring, "Team MVP (Most Valuable Pup)."
More about Champ the bat dog
Champ is the kind of local sports star who doesn't need a fancy uniform or an impressive batting average to steal the show. However, the four-legged celeb does have one important job: fetching bats for players during games. With his wagging tail and love for the action, Champ turns a routine chore into a crowd-pleasing performance.
The 2-year-old black lab is owned and trained by Michael and Melissa O'Donnell from All Star Dog Training, who had Champ practicing his retrieving skills as soon as he was 8 weeks old. Of course, Champ had some big paws to fill, as his older brother, Ripken, was the Bulls' beloved bat dog before him. After Ripken unexpectedly died in early 2025, Champ stepped in a few months later to carry on the family tradition, quickly becoming a fan favorite.
When Champ isn't fetching bats on the field, he's busy greeting fans, posing for photos, and even working as a tee-retriever for NC State football during the offseason, proving that from the baseball diamond to the football field, sometimes dogs make the most adorable MVPs.