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CLEVELAND — When the Guardians take on the Royals next homestand, infielder Brayan Rocchio will be keen to get a good look at fans in the Progressive Field stands.
That includes the four-legged, tail-wagging ones.
Not only is Sept. 8 the opener of Cleveland’s four-game series vs. Kansas City, but it also is the Guardians’ fourth and final Bark in the Park at Progressive Field this season. It’s an event that Rocchio — who is an unabashed dog lover and the proud owner of three pups — is looking forward to, and he’s eager to see all the pups in the seats.
“Yeah, 100 percent,” Rocchio said through team interpreter Agustin Rivero. “It happened when I was down in Triple-A. We were playing at Buffalo, and they had a Bark in the Park Day there, and I paid attention to the dogs in the stands.”
Rocchio has three dogs, including two poodles named Koby and Chocolate, and a Bernedoodle named Mily. Each was featured on one of his bats during Players’ Weekend earlier this month. Rocchio has had Koby since he was 5 years old, and Chocolate is Koby’s son. Rocchio and his wife, Veruska, got Mily, who is seven months old, six months ago.
Rocchio said he has always been a dog person. He has always been an animal person, dating back to his childhood in Venezuela. His grandmother on his dad’s side had many pets, like parrots, cats and even snakes at one point.
Rocchio helped take care of the animals, which was a family effort.
“I’ve always been connected to animals,” Rocchio said. “I love every type of animal — crocodiles, horses, whatever. I feel like if I didn’t have the call to be a baseball player, I think I would be a veterinarian just trying to help animals.”
Wait, did he say crocodiles?
“Yeah. I love them,” Rocchio said. “One of the things I love about residing in Florida [in the offseason] is just knowing how often wildlife is around, and sometimes you walk around and see them walking by the street or something.”
While we won’t see any reptiles at the ballpark next homestand, Mily will be among the pups in attendance for Bark in the Park. Chocolate and Koby are back home in Venezuela; Rocchio explained that it can be difficult to transfer dogs internationally.
What is it like being a dog owner as an MLB player, given the demands of the season and its travel schedule? Rocchio credited Veruska for how well she takes care of Mily.
“All the credit goes to my wife,” Rocchio said. “She does a great job keeping [Mily] always clean and healthy and ready for her to show her best version.”
Rocchio, 24, hopes to enjoy a long career in the big leagues. But whenever his playing career is over, he wants to launch a foundation benefiting animals.
Rocchio said he sees a lot of stray dogs when he’s in Venezuela: “It breaks my heart when you see them in the street with their struggles.”
“I love dogs,” Rocchio said. “God willing, whenever I have finished my career, and it’s an accomplished career, I will look forward to making a dog foundation, something to help dogs.”
