Dogs are great at fetching. Not so much at throwing. But that hasn’t stopped Major League Baseball from penciling them into the lineup to throw out ceremonial first pitches.

First we had Norman the Scooter Dog throw out the first pitch at the Texas Rangers ballpark on May 3. Obviously, pitching isn’t the 3-year-old French herding dog’s main talent. Norman prefers to ride a scooter. Here’s a video of him bike-riding and scootering outside the Ballpark at Arlington, which was hosting dogs of all sizes and talents for its Bark in the Park event. At the end of it, Norman unleashes his wicked arm.

Yeah, we know. Norman didn’t throw the ball at all. We watched it, too. (And don’t worry, it doesn’t count. That’s why it’s called the ceremonial first pitch.) He carried the ball over the plate in his jaws, which is some kind of Catfish Hunter-type move. (Who’s Catfish Hunter? Don’t worry. He was a baseball player.) Still, helluva effort. Lotta spunk in that kid.

Next we had Tillman the Skateboarding Bulldog throwing out the first pitch at the Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Miami Marlins game last Saturday. Here’s Tillman on the mound running through signs with his catcher.

We don’t have a video, but he didn’t throw the ball either. Trust us. He had the ball strapped to his back when he ran over the plate, which has to be against like a billion rules. I bet the replay judge in the booth had a heart attack when he saw that.

All in all, not the best outing for our nation’s pitching dogs, in terms of pitching, but there’s always next year. Everything else was perfect.

Via SB Nation