Jason Frasor’s pet dog will get plenty of attention Sunday at Rogers Centre.
And according to the Blue Jays’ reliever, that’s exactly how his chocolate Labrador, Kosmo, likes it.
“He loves people,” Frasor said of his pooch. “So the more attention he gets, the better. He enjoys it.”
Kosmo will be surrounded by many other dogs during Toronto’s game against Tampa Bay Sunday, as the ball park hosts its seventh annual Dog Day. The event, which includes a dog parade and a special seating area for canines and their owners, has proved to be popular among dog-loving baseball fans over the years.
This season, Jays’ second baseman Aaron Hill and outfielder Adam Lind are also slated to have their dogs in attendance at the ball park.
Kosmo has been part of the Rogers Centre festivities since Frasor got him in 2005. For Frasor and his wife, Laura, the pet also holds a special place in the family.
“We don’t have kids, so he is kind of like our kid,” said Frasor. “We love our dog, man.”
Frasor gushes that as a retriever, Kosmo is a natural when it comes to playing fetch. But it’s not like the right-handed reliever needs the extra throwing practice. Frasor, 31, has been dominating hitters all year long and is enjoying arguably the best season of his career.
Frasor — who’s in his sixth year with Toronto and is the longest tenured reliever in the club’s bullpen — boasts an impressive 2.25 ERA and 1.03 WHIP, which are both career bests.
Asked what has accounting for his success this year, Frasor said the answer is simple.
“Throwing strikes is No. 1,” said Frasor. “And the second thing, maybe even more important, is I’m a three-pitch pitcher instead of a two-pitch pitcher now.”
This past off-season, Frasor added a changeup to his arsenal and has immediately seen results.
If Frasor gets to use the pitch in Sunday’s game, though, it’s not like Kosmo would notice.
“He’ll be too busy (soaking up) the attention,” Frasor said with a smile.
