The Milwaukee Brewers announced Thursday that the furry little white pooch known as Hank, “The Ballpark Pup,” passed away earlier in the day.
When Hank turned up unannounced at the Brewers' training facility in Maryvale, Arizona during spring training in February 2014, the team and its fans were smitten.
Hank spent that spring hanging with the players and coaches during team workouts, fan meet-and-greets and other activities.
Hank returned to Milwaukee with the team and became a hometown sensation.
There was a Hank book published, a T-shirt made and a plush toy, too, that year. He even made the cover of People magazine.
The furry little Hank breathed life into a disappointing season for the Brewers, who after leading the division for much of the year, fell apart in the second half, finishing 82-80 and finishing third in the NL Central.
Even two years later, Hank was still on the minds of Brewers fans as the team gave away Hank bobbleheads after quelling a rumor that – Paul McCartney-style – Hank had died and been replaced by an imposter.
He was adopted by the family of Brewers Chief Operating Officer Marti Wronski and for a decade lived at their home in Wisconsin as a beloved member of the family.
“Hank was truly loved by our family and we are so grateful for the 10 years we had with him," said Marti Wronski. "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.”
Both the Brewers and Wronskis are encouraging donations to the Wisconsin Humane Society or Milwaukee Area Domestic Animal Control Commission (MADACC) in honor of the memory of Hank.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
