William E. Ricks
Make room for the latest addition to the Seattle Mariners‘ roster, Tucker. On Saturday, the team announced he is the new clubhouse dog and will be a regular attendant for the team’s home games and occasional road games, according to MLB.com.
Seattle adopted the 4-year-old Labrador retriever mix from OkanDogs Dog Rescue, located in Cashmere, Washington. The organization called the Mariners earlier in the summer when Tucker arrived at its rescue center. But before becoming an official team member, Tucker had to undergo an in-depth scouting process from team personnel.
Once Tucker made it through the procedure, Jack Mosimann, Mariners director of major league operations, made the 2½-hour car trip to acquire the free agent.
“We ran people in there, and we cross-checked them. Jack ran in there. We got big-time numbers on this dog. So he went high in the draft. We’re happy to have him as a free agent addition to our club,” Mariners manager Scott Servais told MLB.com.
Servais and his wife, Jill, volunteered for OkanDogs before the team adopted Tucker. They have been participants in animal activism for more than 30 years. The Mariners often host “Bark at the Park” nights at T-Mobile Park, Seattle’s home field.
Tucker didn’t wait long to make friends with Mariners players. Pitcher Erik Swanson posted a picture giving the dog some love ahead of the team’s doubleheader against the visiting Los Angeles Angels. Seattle shortstop J.P. Crawford also showed excitement for his newest teammate.
Endless belly and head scratches! https://t.co/puIkOjgFKd pic.twitter.com/50jZjSRm4S
— Erik Swanson (@Erik_Swanson03) August 6, 2022
— jp crawford (@jp_crawford) August 6, 2022
The Mariners currently hold the final American League wild-card spot and have a two-game lead over the Baltimore Orioles — the team trailing them. Despite the high-stakes baseball, Servais hopes Tucker can add some fun during the late-season grind.
“This little guy is great. Our players are excited about it. It’s a nice little distraction for them in the clubhouse. They love the little guy,” Servais said.
