The Greensboro Grasshoppers have unveiled seven new statues celebrating the team’s rich history—featuring three dedicated to their beloved bat dogs.
GREENSBORO, N.C. — The Greensboro Grasshoppers have made permanent history on the streets of Greensboro. Seven new statues now adorn three corners of Eugene and Bellmeade, paying tribute to the team’s rich legacy.
“This goes way back to 2017,” said Grasshoppers President Emeritus Donald Moore.
Among these statues, three hold special significance—they honor the team’s beloved bat dogs: Master Yogi Berra, Miss Lou Lou Gehrig, and Miss Babe Ruth.
The idea to memorialize the dogs began after Yogi’s passing in August 2017.
“Gordon Sinkson and I were talking, and Gordon said, ‘We need to do something special to memorialize Yogi,'” Moore explained.
Sadly, Miss Babe Ruth passed away in 2018, followed by Miss Lou Lou Gehrig a couple of years later.
“When you come to a Grasshoppers game, you’re gonna see dogs. Dogs and the Grasshoppers have been associated together for a long time,” said Moore.
Creating these statues was no small task. Statue artist Peter Ruocchio described the process as labor-intensive. “Fiberglass is nasty work if anyone’s ever done it before… It’s a lot of hand scraping, sanding, bodywork, bondo, and then the finish work and automotive paint,” he said.
Now, these iconic bat dogs are permanent fixtures outside the stadium.
“When people drive up and down the street, they’ll see those dogs memorialized. I think it’ll bring back a lot of special times and memories for a whole lot of people,” said Moore.
So, next time you leave a Grasshoppers game, be sure to stop by and give Yogi, Babe, and Lou Lou a little love—their legacy lives on.
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