Current:Home > MyHank, the Milwaukee Brewers' beloved ballpark pup, has died -Wealth Momentum Network
Hank, the Milwaukee Brewers' beloved ballpark pup, has died
View
Date:2025-04-27 19:31:19
They say all dogs go to heaven. Then, that's where Milwaukee Brewers legend Hank has gone.
"The beloved Hank, 'The Ballpark Pup,' passed away earlier today," the Brewers shared in a news release Thursday night.
The furry white dog was small, but made a major league impact on the ball club and its fanbase.
The tale goes, Hank was a scruffy stray — with a tire mark on his fur and an injured tail — who wandered up to the Brewers' spring training facility in Arizona back in February 2014.
According to previous Journal Sentinel reports, the 2- or 3-year-old bichon frise mix ignited a team in the doldrums after an excruciating 2013 season. He was cleaned up, checked up and loved up by Brewers coaches, players and personnel.
All things Brewers: Latest Milwaukee Brewers news, schedule, roster, stats, injury updates and more.
"Throughout that spring, Hank spent his days at the complex and his nights in the safety of Brewers homes," the news release said. "Every day, Hank participated in team activities, ranging from workouts on the field to doing meet and greets with fans attending games."
The internet and social media just couldn't seem to get enough of Hank, named after the great Hank Aaron, who began and ended his big-league career in Milwaukee. The Crew's new mascot of sorts immediately captivated the hearts of fans in Milwaukee and beyond, popping up on national television shows and being featured by People.
Hank's welcome party to Brew City included then-Mayor Tom Barrett, former Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele, Brewers executives, television crews, kiddos eager to meet the four-legged phenom, and hundreds hoping to catch a glimpse.
Marti Wronski, the Brewers chief operating officer, and her family adopted Hank at the conclusion of spring training that year and gave him a loving home for the past decade.
“Hank was truly loved by our family and we are so grateful for the ten years we had with him," Wronski said in the news release. "Hank seemed to know that he was rescued by the entire Brewers family and he never met a fan – or really any human – he didn’t love. We are heartbroken to be without him but are grateful for the joy he brought to so many and the spotlight he helped shine on animal rescue.”
When Hank made his Miller Park debut in March 2014, fans got up at 4:30 a.m. to get in line for a 7 a.m. meet-and-greet. As the sun came up, a few hundred people were there.
"It was March madness as one grinning person after another knelt or leaned down next to Hank for a photo. They cooed at him, "Oh my God, he's so cute!" and "Good boy!" and many variations of "Awwww," wrote former Journal Sentinel columnist Jim Stingl.
In Hank's heyday, there were bobbleheads, T-shirts, plush toys, locker name plates, buttons, bumper stickers, pennants and other memorabilia, all sporting his likeness. Six-thousand plushies of him sold in a matter of weeks, according to The Arizona Republic.
Whether it was through donations via Hank-related merch sales or appearances, Hank helped the Brewers help others, including the Wisconsin Humane Society.
In January 2015, Hank was named “Dog of the Year” at the CW Network's World Dog Awards in Los Angeles, MLB.com reported.
"We thought it would be a 20-minute story on social media," Rick Schlesinger, Brewers president of business operations, said back in 2016. "The power of Hank is incredible."
Hank faded out of the spotlight to live a dog's life.
Though, in 2016, there was a social media debate over whether or not Hank was still the same dog. Schlesinger confirmed he "definitely" was the original.
In 2018, Tyler Barnes, Brewers vice president of communications, said that while Hank had "not officially retired" and still made "rare appearances," he "deserves to live the life of a loved pet."
For those who wish to honor the life of Hank, the Brewers and Wronski family encourage donations to the Wisconsin Humane Society or MADACC (Milwaukee Area Domestic Animal Control Commission), the release said.
veryGood! (447)
Related
- All That You Wanted to Know About She’s All That
- Will PS4 servers shut down? Here's what to know.
- 'This is a nightmare': Pennsylvania house explosion victims revealed, remembered by family, friends
- Biden will again host leaders at Camp David, GA grand jurors doxxed: 5 Things podcast
- Biden administration makes final diplomatic push for stability across a turbulent Mideast
- Company that leaked radioactive material will build barrier to keep it away from Mississippi River
- Rep. Ocasio-Cortez calls on US to declassify documents on Chile’s 1973 coup
- The Bachelor Host Jesse Palmer Expecting First Baby With Pregnant Wife Emely Fardo
- Dick Vitale announces he is cancer free: 'Santa Claus came early'
- 9 California officers charged in federal corruption case
Ranking
- The FTC says 'gamified' online job scams by WhatsApp and text on the rise. What to know.
- Olympic champ Tori Bowie’s mental health struggles were no secret inside track’s tight-knit family
- 'Welcome to Wrexham' Season 2: Release date, trailer, how to watch
- North Dakota AG, tribal nation, BIA partner to combat illegal drugs on tribal lands
- 'Kraven the Hunter' spoilers! Let's dig into that twisty ending, supervillain reveal
- For Katie Couric, Stand Up To Cancer fundraiser 'even more meaningful' after breast cancer diagnosis
- Taekwondo athletes appear to be North Korea’s first delegation to travel since border closed in 2020
- Houses evacuated after police find explosive in home of man being arrested
Recommendation
Trump wants to turn the clock on daylight saving time
Heat dome over Central U.S. could bring hottest temps yet to parts of the Midwest
Jethro Tull leader is just fine without a Rock Hall nod: 'It’s best that they don’t ask me'
Kentucky school district to restart school year after busing fiasco cancels classes
IRS recovers $4.7 billion in back taxes and braces for cuts with Trump and GOP in power
Gun control unlikely in GOP-led special session following Tennessee school shooting
Hiker who died in fall from Wisconsin bluff is identified as a 42-year-old Indiana man
Maryland reports locally acquired malaria case for first time in more than 40 years