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Promotions Watch: Thunder to honor Chase

Chase, the distinctive bat dog for the Trenton Thunder, will have his tenth birthday celebrated on Thursday, July 1, when the Thunder take on the Harrisburg Senators at Waterfront Park. Chase, “That Golden Thunder,” has been entertaining fans at Thunder games since 2002.  Chase, the distinctive bat dog for the Trenton Thunder (Class AA; Eastern League), will have his tenth birthday celebrated on Thursday, July 1, when the Thunder take on the Harrisburg Senators at Waterfront Park. Chase, “That Golden Thunder,” has been entertaining fans at Thunder games since 2002.  

The first 1,500 fans in attendance will receive an 8” X 10” picture of team dogs, Chase and Derby, presented by Heartgard Plus and Frontline Plus. In addition, both Chase and Derby will be signing “Pawtographs” at the Heartgard & Frontline table during the game. Chase, the golden retriever who is a favorite with the fans, players, umpires and the various celebrities who visit Waterfront Park, will officially turn ten years old on July 3. Chase can be seen retrieving baseballs on the field before Thunder home games, acting as the Trenton bat boy during the first inning, bringing water to the umpires and gifts to fans in the stands.

Over the past eight seasons, Chase has been featured worldwide on CNN and Japanese Television, nationally on FOX and the YES Network and regionally on FOX-29, KYW-3, UPN-9, News 12 NJ, and Today in New York on WNBC-4.  Chase has had his picture in Sports Illustrated and newspapers all over the country. During the off-season you will find Chase visiting schools as part of the NJEA Boomer’s Book Buddies Campaign.

Chase’s son, “Home Run” Derby, was introduced to Thunder fans as a puppy in 2008. Derby has been seen a lot more at Waterfront Park in 2010 as he joins his father on the field retrieving bats.  In addition, he plays with the players during pre-game warm-ups and meets and poses for pictures with fans.

If Archie, Peyton and Eli Manning are considered the first family of quarterbacks, then Chase’s family would hold the same distinction as bat dogs. In addition to Derby with the Thunder, Chase has another son, Ollie, who is following in his father’s paw steps with the New Hampshire Fisher Cats (Class AA; Eastern League).

Dogs are popular fixtures at many ballparks; a highlight of any visit to Greensboro, for example, is the sight of Miss Babe entertaining fans.

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