Ripken The Bat Dog, sport item fetching pooch in North Carolina, dies

The O’Donnell family, who trained Ripken The Bat Dog, announced the passing of the black Labrador known for fetching bats and football kicking tees at sporting events in North Carolina.

In a Facebook post on Friday, the O’Donnell family shared that Ripken passed away on Wednesday due to complications arising from a serious undiagnosed medical condition.

During his 8-year life, Ripken gained fame for his role in various events, such as retrieving bats for Durham Bulls minor-league baseball games and fetching kicking tees during NC State college football games at Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh.

Ripken also took part in special events like a ceremonial puck drop for the NHL Stadium Series outdoor game between the Carolina Hurricanes and Washington Capitals in 2023 at Carter-Finley.

His final appearance was fetching a kicking tee during a December 22 home game for the NFL’s Carolina Panthers in Charlotte.

The O’Donnell family shared that Ripken was happiest when surrounded by people, making friends, and enjoying a hot dog or two.

The Bulls, NC State, and the Panthers all paid tribute to Ripken in their social media posts on Friday.

The Bulls mentioned how Ripken brought joy to many fans, and NC State thanked Ripken for spreading happiness among Wolfpack Nation.