After saying goodbye to their 13-year-old bat dog, Layla, the Clearwater Threshers debuts their new bat dog and goes viral for performing the wrong kind of duty on the baseball field.
The Clearwater Threshers’ newest bat dog, 10-month-old yellow Labrador Lucy May, is the sister of the team’s previous bat dog, Layla.
@espn Eventful first appearance for the new bat dog 😂 (via @Larry) #baseball #dog #fail
And the pooch made sure her debut on Friday, August 23, was as memorable and messy as possible!
Videos of Lucy May’s debut have been going viral online. As a matter of fact, the video ESPN uploaded on TikTok has almost a million likes and 8.5 million views.
During her viral debut, Lucy May was sent to retrieve a bat. But instead, ran around the field and into the opposing team’s dugout.
After an unsuccessful attempt, Lucy May was sent back to the field to retrieve another bat. However, she went back to running around the field, but this time with a surprise!
It might be her inexperience or her first-day jitters! But Lucy May, instead of retrieving the bat, suddenly answered the call of Mother Nature on the field.
Fans were supportive of whatever duty Lucy May was performing in the field as the crowd started cheering for her.
After Lucy did her business, her owner, Andrew Davis got her back over to the Threshers’ dugout. Meanwhile, the team’s promotions and game entertaining manager, Dominic Repper, cleaned up after the pooch.
Andrew Davis, Lucy May’s owner, tells WTVT-TV, “When she squatted, I definitely went into panic mode.” He continues, “I think the word my fiancée and I used was ‘mortified.’”
“We kind of had a feeling that something special would happen with her and that it would be a fun event, but I don’t think we could have imagined that it would get taken to that level,” Repper said.
After the incident, the Clearwater Threshers defended Lucy May and ensured everyone that she is “1000% keeping her job”.
“Couldn’t be mad at this sweet face if we tried,” the team wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “Lucy May is only 10 months old! She jumped into training when Layla had to step down, and even though she doesn’t have it quite right, she is 1000% KEEPING her job.”
The team also said, “She’s got lots of time until our home opener in April, and we know she’ll get it just right soon”.
