One of Major League Baseball's most popular members arrived in his new team's city on Sunday.
Hank the dog, who wandered onto the Milwaukee Brewers’ training camp last month and was later adopted by the team’s vice president, Marti Wronski, flew from Arizona to Milwaukee on Sunday, where he was greeted by his new family, press and a throng of fans.
“It was happy chaos,” Tyler Barnes, the Brewers' vice president of communications, told TODAY.com.
When Hank arrived at the airport, Barnes said that there were approximately 250 people, eight TV cameras and the Wronski family waiting for him outside of the gate. Hank took 30 minutes to greet the crowd before making his way to baggage claim, where another large crowd of fans was waiting for him.
“There’s no question that Hank is a real pup-culture icon,” Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett said to reporters at the airport. “He’s far more popular than any politician in the state of Wisconsin.”
Hank, whose breed is not known, meandered onto the team's spring training camp in Arizona last month. The team's staff attempted to find his owner, but were unsuccessful. Hank was quickly considered a member of the Brewers by the players, staff and fans before being officially adopted by the Wronski family.
Hank will make his first official debut at Miller Park on Tuesday morning for the Brewers Team Store opening. After that, the popular pooch will be taking a hiatus from the spotlight.
“He’s not disappearing,” Barnes said. “But we want to give him a little bit of time to just be a dog, to get used to his new family and to get used to 30 degrees.”
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