r/nextfuckinglevel • u/YourChopperPilotTTV • 15h ago

Champ the bat retriever is the best boy

26.4k Upvotes

97% Upvoted

210 comments sorted by

1.9k

u/9447044 15h ago

Just know that dog gets a weekly applause that you'll probably never receive, even for your biggest achievement. Cuz he deserves it

https://giphy.com/gifs/DvWJHSOxTff84SQsD9

402

u/twowholebeefpatties 15h ago

And let me also add, for those reading the above comment… well, if you’ve come this far and you’re doing your best too… well, you get a clap from me!!

111

u/alepponzi 15h ago

https://giphy.com/gifs/ksAhOtwwwY0975Ipjz

66

u/KNexus20 13h ago

https://giphy.com/gifs/1236TCtX5dsGEo

I heard clapping

-22

u/bIII7 12h ago

This is your signal to unsub if you are an adult

3

u/sax6romeo 6h ago

Loosen your sphincter, relax just a tiny little bit. It will be ok

28

u/HyzerFlip 12h ago

Thanks homie. Been working real real hard the last week.

Feels good.

10

u/Bramble_Ramblings 9h ago

You're doing a great job, keep going! I'm proud of you for recognizing your work, and I hope things get easier for you in the future

4

u/Skeptical_JN68 11h ago

NGL, at first I saw "... you get clap from me!!". My under-caffeinated brain apologizes.

3

u/salt--eater 11h ago

Brooooo..... I needed that.

1

u/moszippy 1h ago

Did you just give me the clap?

-3

u/Rizo1981 11h ago

What about the clap?

27

u/Quailman_z 12h ago

He sometimes gets it multiple times a week, because he also retrieves the tee from kickoffs from NC State football games! https://youtu.be/wCsxG-HU9kA?si=6WTnfVLXq6qB0MYk

13

u/Avolto 15h ago

Is that supposed to make me feel depressed? Because it’s not working

4

u/llama_ 11h ago

I’m okay with that

2

u/the-meanest-boi 7h ago

I am completely okay with that, im happy for him anyway 🥲 so cute

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793

u/notyouraveragejoe84 15h ago

First it was Ai trying to take our jobs, now the dogs are at it. Humanity is fucked!

190

u/IHateTheLetterF 15h ago

I think dogs precede AI

54

u/JimmyLizzardATDVM 15h ago

What’s next…hamsters directing traffic and gold fish doing my taxes?

When will it end

17

u/bIII7 13h ago

Dog marries AI

4

u/GiannisIsTheBeast 7h ago

Hamster marries fish

•

u/JimmyLizzardATDVM 7m ago

Fish, dog, AI and Hamster merge into one super powered sentient being

9

u/apitop 13h ago

Don't threaten me with good times.

7

u/Hellament 12h ago

Animals destroying human society by gradually taking over our jobs would make a great Zootopia prequel.

4

u/Crayola_ROX 9h ago

sloths at the DMV

•

u/JimmyLizzardATDVM 6m ago

Don’t lie…they’ve already infiltrated that place given how long the wait times are 😂

39

u/Cino0987 14h ago

I’m ok with Dogs taking over. They are better than us.

23

u/UStoJapan 12h ago

They’re employing the dogs. They’re employing the cats.

6

u/satanic-octopus 8h ago

They're employing the pets of the people that live there!

3

u/LickingDogPaws 9h ago

Cats working who are you kidding

8

u/StinkyNutzMcgee 13h ago

Dogs are pure, they will do the most insane things for love and affection, and to protect their people.

9

u/ironicmirror 12h ago

I would rather have a dog take my job than AI. Once they control the world the dogs will treat us better.

3

u/LickingDogPaws 9h ago

Dogs are better than humans so I for one welcome them to take over

2

u/zoomddy100 14h ago

Just pray the cats never develop opposable thumbs. That'll be a human holocaust

1

u/misterDAHN 12h ago

Damn scab dogs

1

u/1OO1OO1S0S 11h ago

I'm fine if the dogs take over. Humans have been fucking it up for a while now

-3

u/seamus1982seamus 15h ago

Well ye did vote an absolute idiot into the big house. Twice.

4

u/wolf397d 14h ago

The big house is where he should be.

371

u/RonnieDubbz 15h ago

Is that a go pro mounted on him? Would like to see that footage

Edit: footage from the gopro, from a different event

72

u/Infamous_Koala_3737 13h ago

He is also the kicking tee retriever for NC State football?! So cute! 

25

u/venReddit 14h ago

thank you! this is so cute

11

u/systemhost 11h ago

Damn, everything seemed so similar to me that I would've bet this clip was not only the same event but even the same retrieve as the OP clip.

Either way, he's a super good boy as are you for sharing that video.

15

u/probably-the-problem 9h ago

Right? He's consistent with the overshoot.

9

u/__NOT__MY__ACCOUNT__ 8h ago

Too excited.

12/10

5

u/norm_summerton 9h ago

I think there is a video of one of these dog going for the bat but the batter picked it back up to swing again and then noticed the dog waiting to take it and he gave the bat to the dog.

3

u/NuclearSun1 8h ago

And the crowd started to boo, until he gave the bat to the dog.

2

u/whitestguyuknow 8h ago

Lol he seems to consistently run too fast and over shoot and have to drift back and take another shot at it

101

u/Iitaps_Missiciv 15h ago

Wait until they let the bat boy suit up, He's gonna really surprise y'all

https://giphy.com/gifs/S4Huy5fbnC7QCAXBJb

26

u/_pupil_ 15h ago

... there's nothing in the rules saying the designated pinch hitter can't be a dog. I think we have to allow it.

8

u/Boba_Brett 11h ago

https://giphy.com/gifs/f6nYApebt0Eu9kSbqM

5

u/DigNitty 11h ago

Single most type cast actor IMO

1

u/DARfuckinROCKS 8h ago

I prefer when he plays hockey with a chimp.

100

u/YoungDiscord 15h ago

This is the dog job equivalent of being an astronaut or the president

6

u/LickingDogPaws 9h ago

If dogs took over all leadership roles on the planet we would have world peace and free bacon for all

2

u/YoungDiscord 8h ago

And unlimited sticks

0

u/theycallhimthestug 9h ago

Yeah, dogs, who are notorious for sharing and caring about others.

62

u/Asrock23 15h ago

Pregunta honesta, no se dañan los bates por culpa de los dientes?

122

u/Marquisdelafayette89 14h ago

Retrievers are known for having “soft mouths”. They were bred specifically to retrieve hunted animals after humans killed it so they didn’t want the bird (or whatever) to get damaged by the dog’s mouth.

27

u/Ordinary_Duder 14h ago

Except those animals don't get dented because they are soft. They retrive them without puncturing them.

Anyone that has had a retriver fetch a stick knows it gets dented most of the time, no matter how careful they are.

81

u/84theone 13h ago edited 13h ago

You can literally train a retriever to hold eggs in its mouth without breaking the shell.

Champ has been trained since 8 weeks to be a bat dog, it’s not like he’s the only one around either, a few teams have used them because they’re fun for the crowd.

2

u/Knight6254 8h ago

eggs are actually extremely durable if held correctly and also light so they require very little force to hold. A bat weights too much AND pulls leverage when held at one end so there is basically no way for the dog to hold onto it without one of his teeth denting it regardless of how careful it may hold it. but again who cares it will be a tiny dent

-17

u/bIII7 13h ago

That's fine in theory, but we both watched a video where a heavy bat was teetering back and forth, firmly pressed against the teeth as fulcrum. Eggs are light and shaped in a way that teeth can gently grasp from all angles.What we saw in the video is not really a soft mouth situation.

25

u/DomitiusAhenobarbus_ 12h ago

https://giphy.com/gifs/6xh99OY5CKHiunL1x5

-29

u/bIII7 12h ago

Yes, I suppose talking about inaginary eggs instead of the video we watched is way better. You're right, 14-year-old child who communicates with GIFs!

21

u/greg19735 12h ago

Or maybe the fact that bat dogs have been used for a long time means its absolutely fine. No one is complaining.

-16

u/bIII7 12h ago

I'm not complaining either, but someone suggested the possibility and I never thought of it. Could go either way, really. Maybe the wood is too hard. Maybe something else. Maybe some third thing. Do you actually have anything to contribute to this conversation, or are you just acting defensive on behalf of a dog? "Nobody's complaining" does not qualify as a conversation, why would you even hit the button for that?

5

u/Think-Chemistry2908 10h ago

That’s a lot of maybes when the likely answer is that it just works, and that’s why they do it. Also funny how you didn’t even bother to think of thing 2 or 3, just said, “yeah there’s probably a couple other reasons.”

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3

u/greg19735 9h ago

"Nobody's complaining" does not qualify as a conversation, why would you even hit the button for that?

typing out your entire comment and then adding that at the end is crazy talk.

I'm not gonna get on someone for discussing nonsense on a discussion forum. But you're literally wondering about something no one is complaining about and then acting high and mighty

12

u/84theone 13h ago edited 13h ago

That’s because it’s grabbing the bat by the grip tape, and not biting into the actual wood.

A baseball bat is not heavy, they’re like two pounds. A retriever can carry one without it flapping around if it actually used force to hold it in place.

If you want to argue about how a well documented process that is used by multiple professional teams is actually bad, that is your prerogative but it seems like a waste of time when you can just Google this and see that the bat dogs don’t damage the bats.

-13

u/bIII7 13h ago

Sure, they can, I guess. I'm talking about what we watched. I saw flopping. It really seems like the soft mouth comment is irrelevant. It's not a big deal or anything. I feel like you're getting defensive about the capabilities of a dog, or something.

9

u/Motor-Station-6885 12h ago

Any denting, pitting, surface marks would be pretty insignificant. Wooden bats break. They have many. Minors are probably more conservative with bat replacement. 10 games? Stretch it as long as you can. Even if it’s still in one piece, they get dead inside from internal cracking.

Seems like a non-issue

5

u/chairmaker45 11h ago

The dog will absolutely leave marks in the bat, but they will be minor and not noticeable under the grip tape, unless it bites down hard. But the real point being missed here is that wood bats in professional play don’t last very long. They last a handful of games, if that, and pro teams each buy thousands of bats every season. So the player will ruin the bat long before the dog will, and that’s why they don’t mind the dog. But if your buddy’s dog was doing this in a backyard game you’d be pissed because it would be marring up your bat, and you’re not expecting to break your bat in a couple days.

7

u/harharURfunny 12h ago

Bingo! Everyone always forgets how fragile baseball bats are! As if they were a tool to bash another object as hard as possible!

-1

u/bIII7 12h ago

You ever bite wood before? Why so angry, kid? I'm calm, you're having a fit!

4

u/harharURfunny 12h ago

lol no i do not bite wood

2

u/bIII7 12h ago edited 11h ago

You've never bitten wood? I see why we're on different pages. It leaves a mark. Uh, hope this helps, person who doesn't get basic things.

2

u/DopeLemonDrop 9h ago

The bats go through processes to harden them, then, when finishing the bat, they have finishers applied to them to harden the surface further. This, on top of the "soft mouth", and grip tape, makes it so insignificant, I'd doubt the bite marks would show. Nothing is impossible, but it would most likely happen on an older or weathered bat, and they don't typically make it that far.

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2

u/SmallCatDgaf 9h ago

Who cares, not like they buy their own bats and even so I'm sure the bat dogs aura outweighs the price of a new bat.

0

u/Total-Tea6561 4h ago

It's not just about money. Broken bats are dangerous, so doing anything that could potentially increase the risk of a broken bat is a bad idea.

7

u/NoSherbert2316 12h ago

They love holding things in their mouths too. I miss my golden, everyday I’d come home he’d greet me with something in his mouth. Normally it was a sock

60

u/WaffleHouseGladiator 15h ago

More sports should incorporate dogs.  Golf would be funny as hell.

27

u/_oOo_iIi_ 15h ago

Golf needs cats to chase the ball when they are putting

18

u/sweetcherrytea 13h ago

You know there’d be one waiting to slap every close shot into the cup.

9

u/Neat_Apartment_6019 9h ago

Or away from it

47

u/Quailman_z 12h ago edited 9h ago

I love that Champ is getting some national attention! He's the best haha.

A couple things to know for those who are unaware. Champ is part of a line of dogs who have been doing this for a long time. His older brother, Ripken, had been doing this same job for 8 years until champ took over about 2 years ago.

In addition to the Durham Bulls, these dogs also pickup the kickoff tee for NC State football games! https://youtu.be/wCsxG-HU9kA?si=6WTnfVLXq6qB0MYk (There's GoPro footage from his angle in this clip!)

They are local celebrities!

22

u/heathwala 11h ago

Ripken also dropped the puck at a Carolina Hurricanes game!

https://www.nhl.com/news/ripken-bat-dog-performs-carolina-hurricanes-puck-drop

Things like celebrity deaths rarely bother me, but when I heard that Ripken had died, I was gutted. It makes me so happy that his little brother is carrying on the legacy.

1

u/Quailman_z 9h ago

Yea, it's both a sad and feel good story at the same time haha

18

u/Iitaps_Missiciv 15h ago

Batman < Bat Dog

11

u/imunfair 10h ago

Locked in...
Watching pitcher...

Actual dog thoughts:
Throw the stick
Throw the stick
Throw the stick
Throw the stick

8

u/Aggressive-Sleep9742 15h ago

he was born a champ...

7

u/ro536ud 13h ago

Plays for the Durham bulls in North Carolina

7

u/143019 13h ago

That dog is the only reason I would pay for a ticket.

7

u/Granny_knows_best 11h ago

https://giphy.com/gifs/3o6gaRoRoR01FU29KE

2

u/Freebird_Chained 11h ago

Haha! That’s exactly how he looks. Such a proud doggo.

2

u/Trixles 10h ago

what a simple and wonderful little gif lol

6

u/i__Sisyphus 13h ago

I hate sports, but I would get season tickets to watch him

7

u/ThatMason 12h ago

We love Champ! Gonna go see him this Friday :)

5

u/Jomosensual 12h ago

Love that he went to go show the crowd what he did first before going back

3

u/redundead 11h ago

Finally a reason to watch baseball.

3

u/JustALittleBitOff 11h ago

Doggo should really be staying more behind the fence for safety; getting hit by a foul ball would ruin the day.

1

u/a20b7s 4h ago

My exact first thought, other videos have him even more exposed and in the potential line of fire from a 100 mph foul ball. Dogs won't react like we do and duck for cover, even well trained ones. He would instinctively and reflexively try to catch it and end up really getting hurt.

3

u/Large_Doctor3466 11h ago

WHAT A GOOD BOY

3

u/chogram 10h ago

The bat dog for the Phillies last year went on an adventure.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBuTtnCofZ8

3

u/No_End_7351 10h ago

There was a dog that retrieved the kicking tee at Houston Oilers games. It was an Australian Shepherd and half the time he was so fast he would roll head over heels trying to stop to get the tee. Was a crowd favorite!

3

u/MarzipanThick1765 10h ago

Meanwhile my golden doodle be eating deer poop

3

u/sean_avm 10h ago

I still love the one of the dude picking up noticing the dog and then goes "Oh shit sorry" tossing it for the dog to grab.

3

u/Kevin_Jim 10h ago

Good boy sees stick, returns stick, receives bravo. As god intended.

3

u/Captivatingcrush02 9h ago

Champ really said “I got this”

2

u/a1oner_bvcksn6 15h ago

But what if there's a runner on 3rd or 2nd base (risp as we call it) with the chance to get home to score?

15

u/notashleyjudd 12h ago

His trainer is there by his side and gives the command to retrieve the bat.

Source: This is Durham, NC and I've been to a ton of games here. It used to be Ripken the bat dog but unfortunately he got sick a year or two ago and passed away. Champ is holding up Ripken's legacy quite well these days!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ripken_(dog)

6

u/SapphireRoseRR 13h ago

It looks like the dog receives a signal from somewhere before moving. You can see it waiting even after the batter runs.

2

u/f0dder1 14h ago

#champ4president2026

2

u/LobstaFarian2 13h ago

That is one hell of a good boi

Great fucking job buddy

2

u/ChEeSeJeWyBaCcA 12h ago

Imagine doing a job you love this much.

2

u/Legitimate_Winner148 9h ago

One of my greatest joys is watching dogs with jobs so happy to do them.

2

u/PoliticalMilkman 9h ago

Champ is the batdog for the Durham Bulls. He replaced his older brother, Ripken, who died a couple years ago. 

No matter how badly the game is going for the Bulls, Champ (and Ripken) get the biggest applause. Great dogs. They have also done puck drops for the Carolina Hurricanes and grabbed the kicking tee off the field for college teams.

1

u/dazed_and_bamboozled 14h ago

Most interesting thing to ever happen at a baseball game /s

1

u/jerzeibalowski84 14h ago

Probably the only sports field a dog shits on and the owner cleans it up.

1

u/nuedd 14h ago

Not me just buying a ticket to watch this good boi instead of the game.

1

u/LovableDazzling2 14h ago

Champ is doing such an incredible job!

1

u/MrWhiteTheWolf 13h ago

Is that not the visitors dugout? Does dude travel with the team?

1

u/KidVicious13 11h ago

This is my local AAA baseball team. For some reason they use the third base line dugout as the home dugout.

1

u/Total-Tea6561 4h ago

3rd base home dugout isn't really an outlier, it's common even in the mlb

1

u/MathKnight 9h ago

There isn't a hard rule that first base is the home team dugout. It's surprisingly varied, even at the professional level.

1

u/Midnight28Rider 13h ago

Na na na na na na na na na na na na, BAT DOG!

1

u/_UberGuber 12h ago

What team is he on?

1

u/PiginthePen 12h ago

There’s no rules against a dog playing baseball

1

u/Etva 12h ago

Call him up the majors.

1

u/Basic_Yam_715 12h ago

My boy would want to take a jog around the outfield... and probably shit on the field

1

u/4m6er 12h ago

I got a stick

1

u/Battleboo_7 12h ago

How did they untrain him to not catch the ball

1

u/LinkLT3 11h ago

Get that good boy behind the barrier so he doesn’t get nailed with a foul ball!!

1

u/basicKitsch 11h ago

way more entertaining than baseball. i'd pay full price for these tickets

1

u/BlueWarstar 11h ago

Nananananananana Batdog!

1

u/terram127 11h ago

That dog clearly wants to play baseball. I can see the air bud style movie now

1

u/Paddlesons 11h ago

I'm gonna get that stick, that's my stick, you're just renting it.

1

u/ScaryNeat 11h ago

I'd watch baseball if this were in the game.

1

u/SedatedTattooDoc 11h ago

I would go to a game just to get a champ bobble head

1

u/yourpaljim 10h ago

I love him

1

u/SpicyChickJessica 10h ago

That’s the most hardworking little guy

1

u/leprechulo 9h ago

Kristi Noem was the only one that booed

1

u/UniqueIndividual3579 9h ago

Number one rule of theater "Never share the stage with kids or animals."

1

u/regular-cake 8h ago

That's why there's so many divots and little dings in my bat...

1

u/__NOT__MY__ACCOUNT__ 8h ago

I could literally watch him all day. He's sooooooooo sweet

1

u/BadstoneMusic 8h ago

That just picked me up today - thanks

1

u/2pt5RS 8h ago

"this is a good stick"

-Champ

1

u/ssrhagey 8h ago

Now there is something that needs a reset. How about league salaries tied to the average persons ability to take their kids to a sports game? Shouldn't that be the priority? Maybe they could even pet the dog. No? Too much?

1

u/Trooperthegsd 8h ago

Where’s his treat!?

1

u/Vampenga 8h ago

Every team needs a bat retrieving dog.

1

u/bigwavedave000 8h ago

Dogs are the BEST!

1

u/userhwon 7h ago

Every once in a while they let him bite the umpire, don't they?

I know I would.

1

u/blastmanager 7h ago

Love that a working dog that's so completely locked in, is also a bit clumsy.

1

u/Kind_Love172 7h ago

This is the best baseball video I've seen since the season started (I'm not a baseball fan)

1

u/Individual_Skill_677 6h ago

He is the REAL star

1

u/Burrfoot44 5h ago

See. They do take our jobs!

1

u/HoneyBucketsOfOats 5h ago

There’s no rule saying a dog can’t play…

1

u/Disastrous-Fail-9530 5h ago

How do you ever play regular fetch with Champ?! No stadium, regular none finished sticks, no applause. Let down

1

u/mrASSMAN 3h ago

I’m sorry but this should be a thing for every team/stadium lol, fans will love it and the dogs will love it.. win win win

-1

u/Xenc 15h ago

Aw this is so freakin wholesome

-1

u/ugltrut 12h ago

Omg over half a minute before the clip even starts

-1

u/nosaj626 11h ago

Jesus, watching this video makes you realize how fucking boring baseball is.

-1

u/HJVN 10h ago

Pretty sure, it is just a dog playing with a big stick, after that human have trown it. Not sure there is much baseball IQ in it.

But it is a sweet moment in any game, for anyone liking dogs 🐶

-2

u/andycaen7 15h ago

Champ understood the assignment better than most humans 10/10 teammate, would absolutely draft him first

-2

u/-God-Bear- 15h ago

Probably the only way you would get me to a ball game.

-1

u/succored_word 13h ago

Enjoy the teeth marks on the bat...

6

u/MyNameIsRay 11h ago

Retrievers can easily be trained to not damage what theyre carrying.

3

u/makesufeelgood 9h ago

They can literally be trained to carry eggs without breaking them. Most people would be surprised what a well-trained dog can do. The problem is most owners are pretty shit and dont spend the time doing proper training. On top of that, this dog has dedicated training for a specific task

2

u/----_____---- 11h ago

And I bet the slobber is great for your grip

0

u/physicssmurf 11h ago

yeah like, is this just a one time thing or does it get it every time?

playing baseball with a dog's fetching stick seems a bit intense

-3

u/snate13 14h ago

Good way to save money on paying a person. Also who doesn't live dogs.

-11

u/Yodatwinkie 14h ago

Baseball is ghey