A barking good time in Trenton, as hometown Thunder celebrate their canine connection
This month the minor-league baseball team will twice take the field as the Goldens, complete with a tail-wagging crest on the jerseys
For the Trenton Thunder, it’s always the dog days of summer.
The minor-league baseball team has for more than two decades made its bat-retrieving golden retrievers an integral part of its games — and of its marketing, advertising, and brand. This month the Thunder leashes itself to its canine chronology, taking the field as the Trenton Goldens on Aug. 18 and 28, complete with a tail-wagging crest on the front of the jerseys.
In the minor leagues, the occasional assumption of an alternate, on-field identity has become a common way to intrigue fans, promote the team, and sell more fan gear. In Allentown, the Lehigh Valley IronPigs also have gone to the dogs, as the IronPugs, and in Bridgewater, N.J., the Somerset Patriots morph into the Jersey Diners.
For the Thunder, their new identity is a tale of puppy love. Way back in 2002, Chase became the first full-time bat dog in minor-league baseball, the team says, trotting out to retrieve bats left at home plate. He was succeeded in the job by son Derby, and then by Derby’s son, Rookie, who is now assisted by Dash. Their popularity among fans landed the dogs on ESPN, the MLB Network, the Today show, Good Morning America, and Japanese television.
At the team store at the ballpark and online, kids can buy a plush Rookie dog doll for $15 or a Rookie pin for $10. A “Mount Dogmore” shirt that shows the faces of all four pups is $30. Of course, there’s a Trenton Thunder dog leash, for $25, and a dog bandanna for $11.
The Thunder debuted in 1994, moving into a brand new 6,440-seat ballpark that, then and now, puts fans close to the field. It’s set between the Delaware River and Route 29, and left-handed sluggers have delivered balls into the drink.
The park, given its place in the land of Springsteen, is located at 1 Thunder Road.
A bargain? Parking is $5. Tickets are $12, a little more if bought the day of the game. Kids eat free on Tuesdays, and on Thursdays draft beers cost $2. Not every night is fireworks night, but it seems that way — more than a dozen games a year.
This year’s average attendance is just over 5,500 per game, the team says.
For most of its existence the Thunder played in the Eastern League as the Double-A-affiliate of a major league team, the Detroit Tigers, the Boston Red Sox and then, for 18 years, the New York Yankees. When the Yankees ended that affiliation in 2000, the Thunder became part of the six-team MLB Draft League, which showcases players hoping to sign pro contracts.
“Thunder Makes, Baseball Takes,” the team says, mimicking Trenton’s famous bridge slogan. And it’s true — nearly 400 Trenton players have reached the major leagues, including the Yankees’ Aaron Judge. Tony Clark, now executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association, the union, played in Trenton, as did Nomar Garciaparra, the Red Sox shortstop.
The Inquirer talked to Thunder president Jeff Hurley — who also serves as Dash’s on-field handler — about the Trenton Goldens, the dogs’ enduring appeal, and the Thunder’s efforts to engage fans. The conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
Why did you pick the Goldens as an alternate identity? The city is known for colonial history and manufacturing, and the team already sometimes plays as the Pork Rolls.
The dogs have been an identity of the Trenton Thunder for so long. They’re a part of the team, part of our entertainment show. They had their own merchandise prior, and we thought it would be a great idea to really bring it together with this line named after the Goldens.
How did bat dogs get started in Trenton?
Back in the day there was a traveling act with a golden retriever, Jake the Diamond Dog. He made an appearance here, and I think the organization, we asked ourselves, Why can’t we do this at every home game? It snowballed into this lineage of bat dogs that continue to entertain our fans game after game, year after year.
Besides being team president, you also serve as a dog handler?
Yeah, I actually handle Dash on the field. Eric [Lipsman, senior vice president of corporate sales and sponsorships] will handle Rookie.
Nobody has just one job in this organization?
That’s minor-league baseball for you. I’ve been lucky to be the handler for Chase, Derby, Rookie, and now Dash. The applause that you hear when the dogs retrieve the bat never gets old. It seems to get louder every time.
The Thunder play in the MLB Draft League. Do you have to work harder as an unaffiliated club?
I wouldn’t say we’ve worked harder. Our front office staff and all our team members from top to bottom work their tails off. Nothing has changed on our end. We’re still the organization that we always have been. There’s baseball going on, but also the fireworks and our Value Days and the promotions. That’s what it’s about here: affordable family fun.
Is it possible to put a value on the bat dogs, from Chase on down the line, in added sales of tickets or merchandise?
We have season-ticket holders that come because of the dogs. We’ve received e-mails, phone calls, messages about how the dogs bring so much more, when they’re walking through the ballpark, when they’re doing meet-and-greets. They’re part of our identity. To see them at a baseball game is just unique and cool and fun. Their popularity has not diminished one bit.
The Thunder take the field as the Trenton Goldens on Aug. 18 and Aug. 28.