'Bat dog' Brutus has become a fan favorite at Battle Jacks games
People go to the Battle Creek Battle Jacks games to see the baseball.
But, often, the real star of the show is Brutus.
"Brutus has been an awesome addition to our team and he's become a fan favorite and always gets the loudest cheers of the night," said Battle Jacks General Manager Tyler Shore about the team's new bat dog and unofficial mascot.
Fans have rooted on Brutus at MCCU Field at C.O. Brown Stadium this summer as he retrieves bats at home plate after the Battle Jacks players are done taking their cuts.
Brutus waits patiently with his handler and dog mom, Sarah Prell, on the fringe of the home dugout when the Battle Jacks are hitting. Once the first player of the inning has taken his swings, Prell releases Brutus and he trots out to grab the bat from home plate, puts it in his mouth, and carries it back to the dugout.
With the entire crowd cheering, of course.
"He doesn't get nervous. He seems to like the crowd," Prell said. "Opening Night was the first time we did it on the field. We didn't get to practice on the field or with the team, just doing it in our front yard, going to get the bat for weeks. But he did a great job that first night and he has continued to do great. He just has really taken to it."
Prior to the season, the Battle Jacks went in search of a dog who could retrieve bats as part of their attempts to boost the entertainment value for the new-look franchise.
It made some sense, since the Battle Jacks' mascot is a Jack Russell Terrier who plays baseball. The team was looking for a dog who could retrieve bats from home plate, take a ball out to the pitcher's mound and go out to the first baseman, sit and shake.
"When we decided on a dog for a mascot, a bat dog was a no-brainer," Shore said. "We were lucky to find Brutus and we hope people will continue to come out and cheer him on the rest of the summer."
Brutus, a Rottweiler and golden retriever mix "born with a cute, little nubby tail," was a natural, according to Prell.
"We saw a flyer at the dog park for tryouts," said Prell. "There were different scenarios to practice before coming to the tryouts. We went home, practiced for about a month, and then tried out and we were picked.
"I had people ask, why he isn't a Jack Russell Terrier. But I just tell them, he beat out the competition so he's the choice."
Just over two years old, Prell has been training Brutus since she brought him home.
"He was a COVID puppy, so I spent a lot of time with him early and he caught on to things really quickly," Prell said. "He would learn one thing and I would find another thing and we would just keep going. He's been doing some agility and obedience things around Michigan a bit, too. Last week, we did a little trick show at the Marshall Comfort Care assisted living place, and he did some tricks for them."
But Brutus seems most at home at the ballpark, as he does his job when called upon and is available for lots of pets and hugs from fans in the stands and the concourse during the rest of the game.
"Before we did this, he had probably only been around two kids max at once. But on opening night, he got swarmed right away by probably 10 kids and he was just sitting in the middle of it, loving on all the kids," Prell said. "And the players love having having him around.
"If you come early enough, the players will be throwing balls to him and he'll bring them back, or some will race him across the outfield. And when they are stretching, he just goes up to all of them and licks their faces."
Contact Bill Broderick at bbroderi@battlecreekenquirer.com. Follow him on Twitter @billbroderick.
This article originally appeared on Battle Creek Enquirer: 'Bat dog' Brutus has become a fan favorite at Battle Jacks games
