Cobalt, Raisin, Scooter: A few 4-legged dogs who enjoyed Woof Woof Wednesday at Polar Park

WORCESTER — Theo Denlinger recently became a dog dad.

After spring training, the WooSox right-handed pitcher adopted a rescue puppy (from Worcester) with his fiancée, Jess Boerner, on a trip from Florida to Maine.

On Wednesday, Denlinger’s dog, Cobalt, watched from Section 16 at Polar Park as his dad’s baseball team beat the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, 5-0.

“I’ve always wanted a big dog, and he’s gorgeous,” said Denlinger, whose 5-month-old pup is a Great Dane/English Mastiff mix.

“I try to come to the ballpark all the time with Cobalt,” Boerner said. “He loves it.”

However, Cobalt wasn’t the only canine on hand to see the WooSox win their fifth straight game. The blue-eyed puppy had many other four-legged friends join him for Woof Woof Wednesday, when fans can bring their dogs to the game.

Meet some of the WooSox dog dads

WooSox pitcher Ryan Sherriff grew up with Dalmatians. The left-hander now has two rescue German Shepherds named Jacks (6 years old) and Riley (7).

“If I see a dog in a park, I'm definitely going up to it and I'm definitely going to pet it,” Sherriff said. “I think dogs are therapeutic.”

Marcus Wilson also has two dogs: A Greyhound/Shepherd mix named Casey (5) and Pinscher Chihuahua mix called Jackson (6).

“Dogs are amazing,” said the WooSox outfielder.

Daniel Palka and his wife, Emily, were dating seven years ago when she wanted the current WooSox first baseman/outfielder to buy her a dog. “That’s recipe for disaster,” Palka said.

So Emily bought a Pomeranian off Craigslist. They named the 7-pound pooch Pebbles.

“That dog sleeps in my lap every night. That dog is next to me at all times now,” said Palka, who grew up with larger dogs. “Now I don’t know if I'll ever want a big dog again. We’re dog people, and we’ll always have a dog, and that dog is the best.”

Worcester pitching coach Paul Abbott owns an 8-year-old Boston Terrier named Roxy, who he thinks has a little bit of pitbull or bulldog in her.

“She definitely has the attitude,” Abbott said. “She’s a really special dog.”

Abbott remembers the early iterations of fans bringing their pets to the park at Petco Park, the home of the San Diego Padres that held its first game in 2004.

“They let dogs come into the ballpark,” Abbott said. “As I get older, I'm a big dog guy. Doesn’t matter what kind of dog. They’re awesome, and I love them, and I like seeing them around.”

More bark than bite at Polar Park

Scooter made his first trip to Polar Park on Wednesday.

The 2-year-old Lab/hound rescue dog sat on the berm (like a good boy) while donning a red bandana with a blue Boston Red Sox logo on it.

“It was Auburn night, and it was Woof Woof Wednesday, and we’ve talked about bringing him for a long time — so we tried it,” said Scooter’s mom, Amy Toohey of Worcester. “He’s good with people, and he’s friendly.”

Not too far away from Scooter sat Bo (11 years) and Raisin (7 months).

The pair of Pug “sisters” from Palmer caught the WooSox game with their human parents, Natalie Finch and Tyler Brun, who are getting married in three months. But before the big day, the couple took their dogs to the ballpark for some family fun.

“Raisin likes to play catch,” Finch said. “Bo is just here for the hot dogs.”

Sitting alongside the soon-to-be newlyweds was Aron Webb, a Sturbridge resident who had his hands full with a 2-year-old Great Dane named Koda.

“She loves tennis balls,” Webb said.

Kate Smith, who made the trip from South Boston to Worcester, brought her 2-year-old Golden Retriever named Hank to the ballpark to sit in Section 15. Smith used to live outside of Nationals Park in Washington, where the Nationals offered a Pups in the Park night.

But when Smith moved to Boston, she realized Worcester was the closest place she could bring Hank for a stadium game. So she’s happy Hank got to scratched that itch on Woof Woof Wednesday at Polar Park.

“He was so excited to come today,” Smith said. “He’s the best boy. He loves baseball. He loves the WooSox.”

— Contact Tommy Cassell at tcassell@telegram.com. Follow him on Twitter @tommycassell44.

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Polar Park hosts Woof Woof Wednesday as WooSox beat IronPigs