(April 30, 2019) — Before a cheering crowd waiting for its chance to rub his beloved belly, York Revolution team dog Boomer announced on Sunday that the 2019 season would be his last as the official team dog.

In his own Lou Gehrig moment, the four-legged ambassador of Revs Time said (through a translator) that he has loved serving Revs fans and his community for the past nine years and would assist the team in finding his successor.

Boomer, who came to the Revolution through the assistance of the SPCA of York County, announced his retirement season at the first 2019 Bark in the Park presented by East York Veterinary Center. Revolution officials said Boomer hopes to see many more of his fans and his fellow furry Revs supporters at the remaining 10 Bark in the Park Sundays of his final season.

Revolution General Manager John Gibson, who first found and housed Boomer, said he fully expects the spokesdog to make frequent visits to PeoplesBank Park in his retirement years and welcomes Boomer’s assistance in finding the team’s next canine community liaison.

In addition to his many appearances at the ballpark, Boomer has spent the past nine seasons traversing the York County community. As the namesake of Boomer’s Book Club presented by Harrisburg University, he has visited thousands of area students to encourage them to improve their reading skills by offering Revolution tickets and other great prizes from team sponsors. Boomer also earned his certification as a therapy dog while serving as the Revs’ team dog.

For footage of Boomer’s announcement, click here. 

*photos by Randy Flaum