Page 46 - Allisons Magazine Issue #95

IF YOU’VE EVER BEEN TO A MINOR-
LEAGUE BASEBALL GAME, then you
know it provides a special sports
atmosphere: one that’s focused on
family, fun, and community. It’s a place
where you can watch America’s pastime,
enjoy affordable food, and experience
things you won’t find anywhere else.

One of those unique experiences is
ballpark dogs—pooches who serve as the
team’s mascot and, in some cases, the
bat dog.

One legendary bat dog is Jake the
Diamond Dog, who has been eliciting
smiles and cheers from fans since 1990.
Jake—the ballpark name of golden
retrievers owned by trainer Jeff Marchal
for almost three decades—retrieves bats
but also does much more. He delivers
water to the umps in a basket, brings
out the first-pitch ball, stays with the
pitcher during the national anthem, and
even “chooses” a Ballpark Sweetheart
and gives her flowers.

Marchal says that this baseball journey
came about almost by happenstance.
“In 1988, I was working at a farm store
in Pompano Beach, Florida, which had
a circular, two-sided drive-through. I
had my dog, Jericho, working on one
side collecting the money from the
customers, and I worked the other,” he
reveals. “The manager wondered why
the receipts were so high. He came in a diamond
one day when Jericho was helping, and
the cars were backed up forever wanting
to see my dog. The manager chuckled IN THE RUFF
and said, ‘This is great!’”
written by matthew brady | photography by SRO productions
This led to a meeting with a member
of a legendary baseball family that was
known for its long history of innovative
ideas. “One day in 1990, my neighbor
brought in Mike Veeck, who had a

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