Layla retrieving her last bat. / Courtesy of Fox
Earlier this week, @bleacherreport gained 112k likes and nearly five thousand shares on a TikTok. And no, it didn’t feature any household sports names or this week’s top plays. Instead, the short video honored an unsung hero from the Minor Leagues: Layla the bat dog.
On July 19th, the thirteen year-old Layla took part in her last baseball game. She walked from the batter’s box back to the dugout amidst thunderous applause, her tail wagging happily. But before Layla took her final bow, she worked for the Threshers for seven years.
Layla’s journey began thirteen years ago when she was adopted by her owner, Andrew Davis. The white Labrador retriever puppy belongs to a breed of dogs known for their intelligence, but Layla took her trait a step further. Davis applied Layla’s intelligence to learning a unique (and practical) trick: fetching him a beer from the fridge.
And, then, Layla rose to fame in 2018. Davis posted a video of Layla performing her beer trick, and she went viral. After seeing peoples’ reactions to his dog’s skill, Davis wondered how he could take Layla to the next level. The Clearwater Threshers promotions manager, Dominic Repper, was more than eager to help.
Davis and Repper decided that Layla would make a great fit to represent the Threshers at the “Bark in the Park” event, working for the first time as their bat dog.
But before her debut, Layla needed to train with the team. Davis said, "Layla didn't even know what a baseball bat was.” So some spring training was in order. Before her Bark in the Park gig, Layla and Davis took to the ballpark and practiced.
And the rest is history. Davis dotes on Layla’s career, saying, "Once it took off there was no stopping it.”
During Layla’s last game, the Threshers threw her a retirement party. The team bought her a big farewell treat that read “Happy Retirement, Layla” and gave her a commemorative wooden bat to remember her time at the field. After her final bat retrieval, the team posted on X: “Yup, we’re crying.”
Layla enjoying her well-earned treat. / Courtesy of Tampa Bay Times
But not to worry—Layla’s legacy with the Threshers will live on. When Layla announced her retirement, the team decided to continue the practice of keeping a bat dog. And luckily for the Threshers, Layla has a younger sister.
Lucy, Layla’s sister, has bravely stepped into the role as bat dog—she’s even garnered some fame herself. Davis said, "Dominic and the Threshers have said that she is in the minor leagues and is next up. She has already made an impact. Everybody knows who Layla's sister, Lucy, is."
After all of Layla’s hard work in the Minor Leagues, do you think it’s time for the Majors to promote a bat dog?
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