For most dogs, someone holding out their hands and smiling, signaling a potential to be pet, means running toward them. For JJ, though, he gets petted at least 100 times on any given night at UWM Field, meaning there’s really one way to summon him: dropping popcorn on the ground.

For nine years, JJ has wandered the Utica stadium, providing company to game attendees and, of course, fulfilling his duties as field general. After his nine years of service, though, JJ is looking to retire — that is, if his replacement, Scout, is up for the job next year.

JJ doesn’t just wander the ballpark freely, though. He spends most of his time with his handler, Katy Hough.

Katy Hough is JJ’s handler at the park. (Sophia Lada / MediaNews Group)

“He, oh man, loves hot dogs. He’ll eat anything in sight. So, a lot of my job is to use his e-collar to stop him from eating people’s hot dogs and hamburgers,” she said. “The only thing he’s allowed to eat that I’m not supposed to stop him from eating is popcorn.”

Every time someone at the ballpark sees JJ, Hough said she usually gets asked the same three questions:

1. What breed is he?
2. Why is he here?
3. Can I pet him?

Even though no two nights are the same at the ballpark, JJ’s shifts have a relatively similar structure. He starts the evening sitting on a table near the entrance, where baseball patrons greet him with pets and photos. Then, JJ goes to a restaurant in the ballpark where many season ticketholders are. He greets them, eats their food off the floor and then heads down to the field.

On the field, JJ takes photos with the groups there and Hough connects with the umpires to give them a heads up that JJ will be retrieving bats and delivering water partway through the game.

Then, JJ continues greeting his constituents around the ballpark and even selects a “sweetheart” for the game. Hough hand-delivers flowers to the person chosen and they take a picture and get to talk on the big screen.

Carolyn Rachfal, right, attended the game with her husband, Tom, and was selected to be the sweetheart. (Sophia Lada / MediaNews Group)

At the June 18 game, Carolyn Rachfal was selected as the sweetheart. She held a bouquet of flowers as she was projected on the big screen and she used her time to give well wishes to the soon-to-be retiree.

“JJ, you’ve been a good, good dog for the team and you are so loved,” she said. “Scout is going to come in and take your place but I want you to enjoy your retirement.”

Rachfal said she and her husband, Tom, are regulars at UWM Field. She said she enjoys seeing JJ around the park because he’s a “calming force.”

After posing for photos with his sweetheart, JJ continues his journey around the park to greet people and eat popcorn off the ground. Then, when the second inning rolls around, it’s time to get to work.

JJ’s job during the first half of the second inning and the entire fourth inning is to fetch the bats after the players run away. (Sophia Lada / MediaNews Group)

JJ and Hough head out to the field with a piece of a gate to block the balls from hitting them. For the first half of the second inning, JJ retrieves the bats from the field after the players run away.

“As soon as you hear the crack of the ball on the bat, he’ll turn and look and then I’ve got my hand on his blue collar right there because then he’ll want to go and I have to wait for it to be safe,” she said.

Then, JJ exits the field to go back to greeting people. In the third inning, JJ runs onto the field with a basket with a water bottle for the umpire. Then, he retrieves bats for the entirety of the fourth inning.

During the third inning, JJ brings water in a basket out to the umpire. (Sophia Lada / MediaNews Group)

JJ goes around to make some final visits before going upstairs where he takes a well-deserved rest on his dog bed next to his pal Scout.

JJ’s favorite part of his night at the ballpark, though, is when he gets to see his mom, Dana Schmitt, who is also the president of the USPBL.

Schmitt said that when JJ first started in 2018, he was 18 months old and perhaps a bit too young to start working.

JJ greets his mom, Dana Schmitt, during a game at UWM Field. (Sophia Lada / MediaNews Group)

“There were a lot of funny things that happened the first year, a lot of picking up the bat and not coming back with it, running around the field with it,” she said.

After the first year, they hired Happy Tail, which Hough works for, to obedience train JJ.

Nine years later, though, JJ is the “star of the show,” she remarked.

“He’s just a chill dog and he loves his job and he just brings happiness to all the fans,” Schmitt said.

In the new headquarters building across the river from UWM Field, a new restaurant is going in his honor called JJ’s Dog House.

Even though JJ is set to retire after this season, Schmitt said that if Scout isn’t ready to take over, JJ might work a few games next year, although Schmitt said he will still be at all of the games anyway.

“He’s a great boy and he just, he loves being here. This is his favorite place in the world,” she said.

JJ is a red golden retriever and was bred in California. He and Scout came from the same breeder. JJ is the first bat dog at UWM Field.