Only in Baseball: Bring Your Dog to the Game

Baseball promotional days are almost as old as the sport itself. From kids running the bases to free batting gloves to fill-in-the-blank heritage nights, the sport of baseball caters to the fans in attendance unlike any other.

Without a doubt, the favorite promotion in Philadelphia is Dollar Dog Night -- all you can eat hot dogs for a dollar apiece. Back in the days of the Vet, when crowds in Philly were just clearing 20,000 on a good night, Dollar Dog Night would always drive up the attendance. Yes, it actually costs less than a dollar per dog to buy your own pack, but there's something about Dollar Dog Night that's always excited those in Philly. Even now, with Citizen's Bank Park filled to capacity every night, the Phillies still offer five Dollar Dog Nights per year. Phillies fans love their dogs.

But maybe not as much as other towns, who actually love actual dogs. A growing promotional trend in major league stadiums is bringing man's best friend to the game -- or as they call it in Florda, Bark at the Park. The Phillies have been visitors to two such games this season, one in May in Florida and the other this Saturday in San Francisco. Those people are real dog lovers.

The old saying in baseball is that you see something new every time you go to the ballpark. How about watching Tim Lincecum pitch a game while sitting next to a pug! And the pug is dressed up like Tim Lincecum!

Before the game on Saturday, the Giants hosted their 13th Annual SF Giants Dog Days of Summer, letting fans bring their dogs onto the field for a doggy parade (that poor grounds crew) and costume contest before watching the game in special sections of the stadium. The ticket for the human/canine combo was $56 and the proceeds went to the San Francisco SPCA.

Other cities have taken to the dogs as well, with Atlanta hosting a dog's night out for just $25 (dog and human) for the last few years. According to their release, "due to its enormous popularity, the Braves have scheduled two "Bark in the Park" dates in 2009, with the second date set for Sunday, September 6."

In Florida, the Bark at the Park costs just $12 for adults and $6 for kids and/or dogs. And while the San Francisco officials put the canines in special dog-friendly sections, when the Marlins hosted the Phillies earlier this season, there were dogs everywhere, including sections just above the dugouts and down the baselines. That must have made for some fun foul ball chases.

And it's not just dogs. The Seattle Mariners recently hosted a night based on LOLcats, led by icanhascheezburger.com. (Watch the results of the night here; these peopel iz insayn.)

Again, this could only happen in baseball. Could you imagine a football team dedicating sections of a home crowd to pets and their owners? It would give new meaning to the term "Dawg Pound" in Cleveland, wouldn't it? And imagine the indoor sports, with the barking and dogs' go-where-you-go attitude toward relieving oneself. Maybe when he eventually hangs up the skates, fans can bring their pooch to Curtis Joseph Appreciation Night. Too bad Glenn Robinson already retired.

I could keep going with the puppy puns, but instead, here's a fan video from Florida's Bark in the Park earlier this season. There's a reality show in there somewhere. Just as long as this guy is the host.

 

Florida Marlins Bark at the Park from D Rawk on Vimeo.

This post originally appeared on the Sporting Blog. For more, see The Sporting Blog Archives.