Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Archie Bradley experienced the nightmare of anyone who has a dog for a best friend -- but thanks to the quick action of Diamondbacks fans and personnel, that nightmare came to a quick end.
After returning home from the D-backs' game vs. the visiting San Francisco Giants on Saturday night, Bradley learned from out-of-town friends staying at his home that his black lab, Crash, had gone missing.
"They said, 'You didn't bring Crash to the field with you?' I was like, Why would I bring my dog to the field with me?'" Bradley said. "They were like, 'Oh, well, yeah, he's not here.' I'm like, 'What?'"
Immediately, panic began setting in for Bradley, and he reached out to everyone he could think of, including his Twitter followers, to try to locate Crash, who got his name from a character in one of Bradley favorite movies, "Bull Durham."
"I started tweeting, calling, trying to figure things out," he said.
People in Arizona my dog Crash a big black lab pictured below is missing!!!! he is chipped has shots and everything please help me find him!!!!! pic.twitter.com/SLRcKCZ2oW
— Archie Bradley (@ArchieBradley7) July 1, 2018
But once he put the word out, all Bradley could do was wait on word that someone had found Crash.
"I did not sleep very well. I'm not married, no kids yet -- that's like my boy. That's my best friend. We sleep together every night," he said. "I picked him out right when he was born. So literally, I've been with that guy since the day he was born.
"To imagine him out being on the streets somewhere -- or worst-case scenario, maybe ran over or something like that -- it was not the greatest thoughts. But at the end of the day, the people of Arizona came together, and I'm happy to be here."
Indeed, thanks to folks on social media, along with the help of D-backs personnel, Crash was found at about 10 a.m. Sunday morning -- three hours before the D-backs took the field for their series finale vs. the Giants at Chase Field.
Crash is back home! I can’t begin to thank everyone enough for all the support and help! He is my best friends and I will forever be in debt to everyone who helped me find him. Thank you Twitter and to everyone in Arizona! Wouldn’t want to be or play anywhere else! #winforCrash pic.twitter.com/BUmDCPGu4F
— Archie Bradley (@ArchieBradley7) July 1, 2018
"I finally contacted the person that found him and was able to get him back to my house," Bradley said. "I don't know if they're (D-backs) fans or not. I really even haven't gotten to talk to the people. Luckily the media people here, especially (senior VP of content and communications) Josh Rawitch, really helped me out and contacting people, and really helping me focus on my baseball activities today and get Crash back home safely."
Bradley knows Crash could have been located sooner if he hadn't done something that he'll likely never do again.
"His collar was very stinky and gross -- it was actually a D-backs collar -- and I was cuddling with him on the couch, and I was like, 'Dude, you stink!' So, I took the collar off him thinking, Hey, I'm going to get him a new collar. And of course, he runs away that day," he said.
"The moral of the story: Don't take your dog's collar off, ever."
So, what's next for Archie and Crash?
"I'm gonna spoil the mess out of him," Bradley said. "I don't know what I'm going to buy him, but tomorrow we're going to have a spa day.
"I have to thank you people out there, from Twitter to the news to the Nextdoor app. Arizona really came together, and I was able to find my dog in less than 24 hours. My heart's happy."
