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.
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‘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.