Bruce, the Red Wings' bat dog, to make on-field debut: When to see the tail-wagging mascot

Bruce the bat dog, the furry, tail-wagging mascot of the Rochester Red Wings, is set to make his on-field debut next month.

The team announced on Monday that Bruce, a golden retriever, will begin his bat-retrieving duties during the Red Wings' game against the Worcester Red Sox on Thursday, Sept. 5. First pitch is scheduled for 6:05 p.m.

For that game, the first 500 fans that enter the gates will receive a Bruce replica jersey, courtesy of the Flower City Group.

Bruce was announced as the Red Wings' newest "employee" in December, and has made several visits to Innovative Field this summer to partake in "Meet and Pets" with ballpark patrons. The upcoming game will provide fans the first opportunity to see Bruce in his new role as bat dog.

"This is a day that Wings World has been looking forward to for a long time," Red Wings general manager Dan Mason said in a press release. "It’s been so exciting to chronicle Bruce’s progress from a furry, adorable little puppy to the bat-fetching, fun-loving dog he has transformed into before our eyes. We are so excited about this new chapter of Red Wings history."

Josh Snyder, Bruce's owner and trainer, told the Democrat and Chronicle in March that Bruce, 6 months old at that time, was taking well to his training thus far but it was to be determined whether he'd appear on the field during the 2024 season.

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"My No. 1 priority is getting him used to people and sounds," Snyder said . "At this point I'm just having fun with him, teasing him with the bat, giving him some affection. It was a little bit of a learning curve, but he's doing fairly well and I'd say we're right on par."

The Sept. 5 game against Worcester is Bruce's final planned appearance at Innovative Field this season. He will be available to meet fans at the stadium after finishing his on-field responsibilities.

In conjunction with Bruce's debut, the Flower City Group announced it will donate $100 per bat retrieved, with proceeds delivered to the Veterans Outreach Center and Honor Flight. The Red Wings are also donating a portion of proceeds from sales of Bruce merchandise .

The Red Wings are 65-53 overall and 27-18 since June 25, after winning five of six games against the Syracuse Mets last week. Should the Red Wings post the top second half record in the International League -- Rochester is currently second to the Cleveland Guardians Triple-A affiliate in Columbus (29-15) -- they'll guarantee a playoff berth and best-of-three series against Omaha, the IL's first half champion.

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