MiLB

Rookie, the bat dog for the New York Yankees Double-A affiliate, had a rookie moment on Tuesday.

The golden retriever, whose father and grandfather were also Trenton Thunder bat dogs, went after a ball the umpire threw to the pitcher in between innings.

Thankfully, the pitcher didn’t seem to mind. Per the Thunder’s website, Rookie started in 2013 and is still "perfecting his craft" with his dad, Derby.

[h/t SB Nation]

"Tebow Magic" is apparently alive and well in the minor leagues. 

On Thursday evening at First Data Field, former NFL quarterback Tim Tebow delivered a walk-off solo home run to propel the St. Lucie Mets to a 5-4 victory over the Daytona Tortugas. 

Per Zach Dean of the Daytona Beach News-Journal, Tebow sent the first pitch he saw from Daytona's Austin Orewiler over the wall to win the game for St. Lucie in the bottom of the seventh inning. 

The round-tripper was followed by quite the celebration at home plate, and it completed a doubleheader sweep for the home side: 

[Twitter]

The Daytona Tortugas will be honoring the late Bob Ross when they host the Clearwater Threshers on Saturday. 

Per the minor league baseball club's official website, the first 1,000 fans in attendance will receive a Bob Ross bobblehead, which would go nicely with the Bob Ross T-shirt that will be given to fans who spend at least $20 on a ticket.

A special ticket package also includes "a Bob Ross painting class taught by Bob Ross certified painters."

Ross, the landscape artist most famous for his role as the host of The Joy of Painting television program, died in 1995. 

No word if the Tortugas plan to showcase any happy little trees during the game. 

[Twitter]

The New York Mets are promoting Tim Tebow to the St. Lucie Mets, their High-A affiliate, MLB.com's Anthony DiComo reported Sunday.

Tebow has spent the season with the Single-A Columbia Fireflies, and he has a .222/.311/.340 slash line in 241 plate appearances. The 2007 Heisman Trophy winner has also hit three home runs and driven in 22 runs.

Tebow responded to critics who said he isn't deserving of the promotion, via FOX Sports MLB:

The New York Post's Mike Puma first reported in May the Mets were considering moving Tebow up a level in their minor league system. Puma wrote the promotion likely wouldn't come until after the All-Star Game, though.

CBSSports.com's Mike Axisa wrote the Mets had a vested interest in moving Tebow to St. Lucie regardless of his performance at the plate. As the owners of the St. Lucie Mets, the Mets organization would collect a share of any financial boost created by Tebow's presence. The Mets don't own the Fireflies, so that hasn't been the case so far.

In May, ESPN.com's Darren Rovell reported Fireflies attendance was up 30 percent in 2017 compared to last year, and Baseball America's J.J. Cooper calculated Tebow's presence was worth an additional $44,200 a game in terms of merchandise and ticket revenue.

The general manager for the Single-A Charleston RiverDogs, Dave Echols, apologized Tuesday for the team's jabs at Columbia Fireflies outfielder Tim Tebow as part of its game presentation last week.

According to Derrek Asberry of the Post Courier, Echols expressed regret for potentially offending anyone with the jokes: "While we believe that our promotions were poking fun at Mr. Tebow's celebrity status rather than his religion or baseball career, our intent was not to offend anyone, and for the fact that we did offend, we are sorry."

The RiverDogs made light of Tebow in several ways, including having their mascot, Charlie T. RiverDog, wear eyeblack with "John 3:16" written on it like Tebow did during his football days:

Per Asberry, the RiverDogs also played the "Hallelujah Chorus" in reference to Tebow's religious beliefs.

Additionally, every Fireflies player who stepped to the plate was labeled "Not Tim Tebow" on the scoreboard, and there was a photo of Tebow crying while playing for the Florida Gators in the background.

Although Echols said the pranks were meant to be good-natured, he conceded that the RiverDogs may have gone too far in some instances, according to Asberry:

"Of the many promotional pieces that we executed, there were a handful on Friday's game that some construed as in poor taste, and we made it a focus to remove those elements and celebrate Mr. Tebow the remainder of his time in Charleston."

The 29-year-old Tebow is in the midst of his first full season of professional baseball as part of the New York Mets organization.

He is hitting .224 with three home runs and 21 RBI for Columbia.

The former Heisman Trophy winner previously enjoyed a brief NFL career with the Denver Broncos and New York Jets.

Eloy Jimenez did his best Roy Hobbs impersonation during Monday night's Single-A Carolina League Home Run Derby.

Representing the Chicago Cubs' Myrtle Beach Pelicans, MLB.com's No. 8 prospect recreated an iconic scene from The Natural by belting a home run into the stadium's lights. This blast didn't spark fireworks as he triumphantly rounded the bases, which batters don't do in a home-run hitting contest, but the damaged light flickered as fans admired the tape-measure shot.

The promising 20-year-old prospect has displayed plenty of pop this season, clubbing seven homers in 28 games with a .546 slugging percentage. He has a long way to go before attempting to reproduce Rookie of the Year in Wrigley Field, but he has the ceiling of a major masher.

Jimenez, however, did not leave victorious. Although Cleveland Indians catching prospect Sicnarf Loopstok stole the show with an awesome name and 17 home runs in the first round, Jake Gatewood of the Milwaukee Brewers edged him out to seize the crown.

[MiLB.com, h/t Cut4]

Tim Tebow is probably used to heckling by now, but maybe not when it comes from an opposing team.

During this weekend's series against the Charleston RiverDogs, the Columbia Fireflies outfielder was roasted relentlessly.

Each time Tebow wasn't at bat, the RiverDogs used a picture of him crying behind the batter who was.

Charleston's Twitter account poked fun at the former NFL quarterback for a "fumble:"

Worst of all, the mascot, Charlie T. RiverDog, might have crossed a line by wearing John 3:16 eyeblack to mock Tebow's favorite Bible verse:

The RiverDogs took two out of three; Tebow singled in each of the first two games.

[Twitter, h/t SB Nation]

Father's Day isn't until Sunday, but one minor league baseball team is celebrating a few days early with a unique promotion. 

As Roger Bull of the Florida Times-Union explained, the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp will be handing out free pregnancy tests to celebrate "You Might Be the Father's Day" for the team's home game versus the Pensacola Blue Wahoos on Thursday. 

The Double-A club's official website promises "an evening filled with suspense, intrigue and manila envelopes" on the same night fans can purchase $1 beers.

Jacksonville's scheduled home game for Wednesday evening was rained out, and that contest will be made up with a doubleheader on Thursday: 

[Twitter]

Oswaldo Arcia demonstrated what it really means to knock it out of the park Friday night.

Playing for the Reno Aces, the Arizona Diamondbacks' Triple-A affiliate, Arcia met an incoming fastball with a powerful swing in the bottom of the third inning against the Las Vegas 51s.

It was so powerful, in fact, that it cleared the stadium, traveling 481 feet from home plate.

[Twitter]

Before the San Francisco Giants and Washington Nationals acted like children during Monday's brawl, the Midwest League hosted an ugly scrum between the West Michigan Whitecaps and Dayton Dragons on Sunday.

As Jose Siri stole second base for the Cincinnati Reds' Single-A affiliate, West Michigan shortstop Daniel Pinero appeared to step on his leg. Siri shoved the Detroit Tigers prospect, prompting both benches to clear.

It looked like the typical baseball fight where everyone stands around because unwritten rules state they must run to the field and act agitated. The scene quickly escalated, however, when a Whitecaps player threw a fastball at an opponent with full force (see 0:25 in the video above).

Peoria Journal Star's Dave Eminian identified Whitecaps pitcher Eduardo Jimenez as the culprit.

West Michigan won, 2-1, in 10 innings. It holds a one-game lead over Dayton in the Midwest League Eastern division after splitting the four-game series.

[MiLB, h/t The Big Lead]