Will There be a 7th Inning Scoot?

Is there anything better in this world than dogs and baseball? If there is, I’m having a hard time thinking of it. Every year, both the A’s and Giants have what they call their "Dog Days of Summer". The Giants have been doing it for ten years now. People from all over the bay area converge at the ballpark for a great day or evening with their personal pooches by their sides. I took Ratdog last year, but we had to leave the game early when the home plate umpire made a series of bad calls and Ratty started barking at him. Pretty soon all of the dogs in our section began barking, and we were politely asked to leave. Even a little deaf dog like Rat knows the difference between balls and strikes. Here are the details on the 2 events:

This Saturday night (Aug. 5) the SF Giants are hosting their Dog Days of Summer event during the game against the Colorado Rockies. Seats are limited, and you need to register in advance. You have to register by mail only, so if you want to go, you need to get on it today. Special bleacher seat tickets are $48 for fans with a dog (wow-expensive date) and $24 for their dog-less friends. Cats are not invited. $1 from every Dog Days ticket goes to the San Francisco SCPA. Each mutt gets a special souvenir – a personalized vial of steroids autographed by Barry Bonds -- and there’s a doggy parade around the field and a canine costume contest. It’s a great opportunity for your pet to experience major league baseball and growl at the opposition. There’s also a special patch in right field where your dog can do his business (just kidding!) To get the registration form, you need to call (415) 972-2356. Ask for Lassie.

On August 15, the A’s welcome dogs to their night game against the Seattle Mariners. You must submit your applications by August 11th. (“My dog is a Virgo; he likes Barry Zito but is still upset that the team traded Tim Hudson.") Only the first 500 mutts will be accepted. Each dog in attendance gets an A’s bandana, a copy of the book “Money Ball”, and his or her very own personal agent. There’s an all-you-can-eat kibble buffet, a fur ball coughing distance contest, Dalmatian dot races and a leg lifting competition. The winning dog gets to be in the manager’s doghouse for a week. (But, only if Esteban Loaiza or Milton Bradley isn’t already in it.) Tickets are $15 for fans with dogs with $5 of it going to an organization called Dogs4Diabetics, Inc. You can apply for tickets to this event at: https://secure.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/oak/ticketing/dogday_form.jsp.