I’ll take any way to get into the Hall of Fame. If they want a batboy, I’ll go in as a batboy.” ~ Phil “The Scooter” Rizzuto, New York Yankee’s Shortstop and announcer. Hall of Fame, Class of 1994 (Veteran’s Committee Selection).
The Rochester, NY Red Wings who play at Innovative Field (originally Frontier Field) are a Triple A affiliate of the Washington Nationals. Their manager is Matt LeCroy who was a designated hitter, catcher and first baseman mostly for the Minnesota Twins, but did play in 39 games for the Nationals. Their hitting coach is Brian Daubach who was a first baseman and outfielder for the Florida Marlins, Boston Red Sox, Chicago White Sox, and New York Mets. Their pitching coach is Rafael Chaves who bounced around several organizations’ minor league affiliates before serving as the Seattle Mariners pitching coach, the Los Angeles Dodger’s minor league pitching coordinator and then the Philadelphia Phillies in the same capacity. The roster itself has prospects, but unless you follow the Nationals closely, the names are mostly unrecognizable. Since they are a Triple A team, there are players that will make the majors somewhere in the near future. But it’s not a player on the roster which will be discussed today.
The Red Wings have taken two very American traditions and combined them into a great role; baseball, “America’s National Pastime” and “Man’s Best Friend”, the dog, into their very own “bat dog”.
(Milo. Found on the internet. Assuming Public Domain.)
Milo is an eight-year-old golden retriever who handles the “bat boy” duties for the Red Wings for select games. Being a golden, “retrieving is in his blood”. He went through a several month training program and some dry runs in the empty park along with front office personnel watching. His debut was on June 1, 2019. He was a four-year-old at the time. But he had a little “stage fright” in his first attempt. His owner Josh Snyder was in the dugout and directed Milo to “fetch”. Milo got out onto the field, looked around, left the bat on the field and promptly ran back into the dugout. Does Milo get sent to the “lower minors”? No, he handled every other bat that night and every bat since. And he’s never gotten in the way of a play at the plate. He’s a gamer! CLICK HERE to see him in action.
Milo is a hit with the team, and the fans, especially the kids. But he is also a hit with several worthwhile charitable programs. Per the team’s website, in 2019, Milo helped raise money for the Wounded Veterans Foundation to the tune of $3,500.00. There was no minor league season due to the pandemic, but back in action in 2021 he raised $2,336.00 for Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (T.A.P.S.) and in 2022, Milo raised $13,696.00 for the Bivona Child Advocacy Center and the Society for the Protection and Care of Children (SPCC).
The Milo Making a Difference Campaign will be working to raise money for Honor Flight of Rochester and the Veteran’s Outreach Center this season. Milo is partnered with Flower City Group who has committed a donation of $50 for every bat Milo retrieves this season. He’s even getting his own baseball (series of five) cards this year.
Milo works select games, so check out his schedule on the team’s website, CLICK HERE.
So, if you’re in the area, head out to see Milo and the Red Hawks at Innovative Field, One Morrie Silver Way, Rochester, NY 14608. Enjoy a game, a hotdog, and a beer. Say hi to Milo and tell him, “He’s a good boy” and perhaps, scratch him behind his ears. You can also contact the Red Wings via the team link and donate to one of the two great causes. Go to their Online Store and purchase some team apparel or a stuffed Milo. (A portion of the proceeds will be donated to charity). Help Milo and these fine charities out.
~ Coach Mike
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Milo
He’s the cutest bat dog ever 💯 What a fun and great article 🤗 Loved watching him do his retrieving ‼️ I would love to scratch him behind the ears 😃 Thanks for sharing🙏
Fantastic ! Milo's a Good Boy ! Thanks Mike.