Where’s Hank, the Brewers’ fluffy white mascot?
It’s easy to cheer for the Milwaukee Brewers.
They head to the the National League Championship Series with superstar players like Christian Yelich and Mike Moustakas.
Erik Kratz, a 38-year-old catcher and the oldest major league player since 1905 to make a playoff debut, is this season’s feel-good story.
Hank the Brewers dog used to be that feel-good story. He was the hero when the Brewers needed him.
Four years ago, Hank, a scrappy pup with a tire mark on his fur, walked into Brewers training camp in Arizona and ignited a team in the doldrums after an excruciating 2013 season.
He walked in a stray; he came to Milwaukee a superstar.
The whole country seemed to embrace his sad tale, and Milwaukee fans rushed to meet him in person. They spent hundreds to take home his likeness on a bobblehead, a T-shirt or a plush toy.
Where is he now? Is he retired? Does he know how great the team is? Does he care?
Hank isn’t speaking to the press. “Hank is excited for the NLCS,” said Tyler Barnes, Brewers vice president of communications.
Barnes said the fluffy white mascot emeritus isn’t quite ready to be put out to pasture. And the dog’s not totally out of the Brewers orbit. Hank found a home with the team’s vice president and general counsel Marti Wronski and her family.
Hank is “not officially retired,” Barnes said. “He makes rare appearances but he deserves to live the life of a loved pet. The success of the team this year has kept the focus and excitement on the field.”