There’s nothing more electric than cheering on your favorite sports team in a stadium full of excited fans. But when you’re a 10-month-old pup with a vital job to do, the chaotic energy at Minor League baseball games can be a bit distracting.

Take it from Lucy May, the Clearwater Threshers’ rookie bat dog, whose professional debut this week didn’t quite go as planned.

It all started when Lucy May’s older sister, Layla, retired after six years as the Threshers’ resident bat retriever. The 13-year-old dog loved her job, but she started slowing down as she got older, and her parents knew her days of working at the ballpark would soon end.

Luckily, their young pup, Lucy May, was spry enough for the job and seemed eager to take over for Layla. She began training with her dad in preparation for the big day.

“She has been training for three months, but she is very much still a puppy,” the Threshers’ Dominic Repper told The Dodo. “She practices with her dad, Andrew, at baseball fields and during softball games at local team diamonds.”

Lucy May caught on quickly. She happily chased after baseball bats and learned to pick them up from the center for optimal balance.

So, when it came time to introduce Lucy May to Threshers fans on August 23, her friends had faith that she’d execute the job well and earn the crowd’s affection. They were shocked when she only achieved one of those goals.

“We only wanted her to do the single attempt. We set it for the last out of that inning,” Repper said. “That way, if something went wrong, it wouldn’t interfere with the game. Good decision on our part because she did go crazy.”

When it was Lucy May’s turn to go out on the field, her dad threw a bat a few feet before her and instructed her to retrieve it. Unfortunately for her dad, Lucy May’s plans changed as soon as her paws touched the field.

Instead of picking up the bat, Lucy May took off toward the baseball diamond, barreling through the players. The crowd cheered as she ran up to the grounds crew, her tail wagging furiously behind her, and asked for pets. A few seconds later, she crouched near second base and did her business.

You can watch that moment here:

“I expected something fun to happen but never expected her to relieve herself on the field,” Repper said. “However, the moment I heard the crowd erupt in laughter, I knew we had another viral video on our hands.”

The crowd went wild for Lucy May, and sure enough, a video of her stunning performance soon made it to the internet, where hundreds of thousands of people also fell in love with her.

Lucy May’s debut may not have gone as planned, but that’s not stopping the ambitious girl from achieving her dreams. She’s back to her usual training schedule and hopes to make an even better impression when the next season officially opens.

“Lucy has another seven or eight months to practice until she needs to be ready for our first Beach Dogs home game in April,” Repper said. “We just know she will be ready by then.”

In the meantime, Lucy May will continue practicing her new job with the help of her big sis, Layla. It’s hard work being a professional good girl, but with a supportive family like the Clearwater Threshers and a loving sister to learn from, there’s no way Lucy May can fail.

“These two dogs are famous locally,” Repper said. “They take photos with our guests at every game and have become a true part of our team.”

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Source: The Wall Street Journal