In 2019, Ripken debuted with the Holly Springs Salamanders, where he retrieved bats and returned them free of saliva or bite marks.

These videos were posted to social media where some became popular nationally, culminating in Ripken being featured on The Kelly Clarkson Show in 2022.

[1][3] His father "Cowboy Kohl" served as the kicking tee retriever for the Boise State Broncos football team.

[11] O'Donnell sought to have Ripken work for the Durham Bulls, a Minor League Baseball team that was closer to professional status, which he also had a personal attachment to as he proposed to his wife on the pitcher's mound at one of their games.

[4][8] During the 2019–2020 off-season, Ripken was noticed by the Durham Bulls and asked to join, being announced as part of their team on February 27, 2020,[12] but was prevented from working due to the COVID-19 pandemic largely halting live sports.

[13] For the 2021 season, Ripken debuted for the Durham Bulls to retrieve thrown bats after hits in the first three to four innings,[13] before meeting fans and giving paw autographs.

[6] When running out to the field to do his job, Ripken had a GoPro camera attached to his back to capture his retrieval from a first-person view to later be posted on social media platforms.

[3] These combined led Ripken to work for the NC State Wolfpack college football program starting their 2021 season, who approved after O'Donnell submitted a video from a Durham Bulls game.

[3] He went viral on the social media platform TikTok in 2022, with a video of him retrieving a tee at a game between NC State and Texas Tech reaching nearly five million views.

[8][16] The increased attention from social media led to Ripken being invited by the Carolina Hurricanes of the National Hockey League for an on-ice appearance.

[22] Official condolences were released by the Durham Bulls, Wolfpack athletics, and Carolina Hurricanes, alongside many on social media.

[7] Due to these issues, a decision was made in early 2023[25] by O'Donnell to acquire another descendant of Cowboy Kohl from Boise, Idaho, named Champ.