The Edmonton Riverhawks organization picked out a very good boy to fetch bats for the team this summer.
Iceman, a two-year-old golden labrador, will step in as the team’s bat boy for some of the games by providing bats for players as well as getting smiles from the crowd.
The golden labrador was originally a service dog in training with the Dogs with Wings Assistance Dog Society, but ultimately failed out of the program.
Gary and Janice Michaud, volunteer puppy-raisers with Dogs with Wings, adopted Iceman after his stint in training. The Michauds told CTV News Edmonton how the idea to have a dog step in as a bat boy came directly from the general manager.
“Steve Hogle planted the seed. We didn’t really take him seriously at first,” said Janice.
“As it got closer to Paws in the Park Day, (Hogle) kept asking how training was going… the next thing you know, Steve’s going “well, you’ve got to be up next Sunday,”” said Gary. “We went from training him at Dogs with Wings to training him on the field here to be the bat boy.”
The fans can’t get enough of Iceman.
“He’s become quite the celebrity. You hear crowds loving it, they cheer him on like crazy,” said Gary.
Iceman has made such an impact on the team that he has his very own baseball card.
Iceman’s official Edmonton Riverhawks baseball card. (Source: X/Edmonton Riverhawks)“We walked around the grandstands and basically got swarmed for these cards. People were asking “can he sign them?” – we didn’t have any way for him to sign,” said Gary.
Janice would tell the fans that “he can bite them.”
She explained how Iceman would bite around the card and leave a tooth mark on the card, leaving his “autograph” for fans to cherish.
The Riverhawks have a nine-day stint of away games beginning Tuesday. Playoffs for the West Coast League begin on Aug. 10.