how many birds have been hit by baseballs

It’s been a rough week for birds who enjoy a good game of baseball. You might even call it fowl play.

Not one, but two birds tragically (and against very slim odds) lost their lives at the bad end of a fast-moving baseball.

Most recently, it was a line drive by Cleveland Guardians outfielder Will Brennan. And it’s tough to spot, even on camera. Thanks to Twitter user @cjzero, we have an edited version of the live play that shows exactly what happened. And just in case you’re not convinced, the game had to stop momentarily for the grounds crewman to come out and scoop our poor feathered friend from the field.

While Brennan was in good spirits about the assassination, he didn’t want to ruffle any feathers and later tweeted an apology, saying, “I truly am sorry @peta and bird enthusiasts. An unfortunate sacrifice.”

The next day, Brennan hit a home run and honored what he now calls “a fallen hero” with a hand gesture. The Guardians shared a clip on their Twitter account.

In a strange twist of fate, a similar incident occurred just last week but with pitcher Zac Gallen for the Arizona Diamondbacks. Gallen was warming up in the outfield of the Oakland Coliseum, when an eagle-eyed camera caught a curveball clip a bird. The bird did not survive.

Brennan and Gallen join a very short list of baseball players who have had unintentional altercations with birds on the field. Perhaps the most famous was Arizona Diamondbacks legend Randy Johnson, who hit a bird during a Spring Training game in 2001 and it exploded in a flurry of feathers.

First, then-Cleveland Indians outfielder Shin-Soo Choo earned a walkoff single when his ball hit a seagull among a flock of birds in the outfield. The bird shook it off and flew on its merry way, but the ball got past Kansas City Royals outfielder Coco Crisp, allowing the winning run to score. At least the bird survived.

And finally, Dave Winfield of the 1983 New York Yankees accidentally hit an unfortunate seagull with a warm-up pitch. The bird did not survive, and Winfield had to report to a local police station because of it. Animal cruelty charges were short-lived, but eventually dropped.

Fans of a good baseball game have had a difficult week. You might even call it fowl play.

In a bizarre turn of events, Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Zac Gallen was involved in a similar incident that happened last week. As Gallen warmed up in the Oakland Coliseum’s outfield, a keen-eyed camera captured a bird slicing a curveball. The bird did not survive.

The following day, Brennan gestured with his hand to honor what he now refers to as “a fallen hero” after hitting a home run. The Guardians shared a clip on their Twitter account.

Brennan didn’t want to upset anyone, even though he was happy about the assassination. He later tweeted an apology, saying, “I truly am sorry @peta and bird enthusiasts.” An unfortunate sacrifice. ”.

The most recent instance was a line drive by Will Brennan, an outfielder for the Cleveland Guardians. And it’s tough to spot, even on camera. We have an edited version of the live play that accurately depicts what happened, thanks to Twitter user @cjzero. Just in case you’re still not convinced, the grounds crewman had to come out and remove our poor feathered friend from the field, which required a brief halt to the game.

Brennan and Gallen are the latest additions to a very select group of baseball players who have inadvertently gotten into fights with birds while playing. One of the most well-known was probably Randy Johnson of the Arizona Diamondbacks, who struck a bird during a 2001 Spring Training game, causing it to burst into a shower of feathers.

Tragically, and against extremely slim odds, not one, but two birds perished at the hands of a rapidly approaching baseball.

Fans of a good baseball game have had a difficult week. You might even call it fowl play.

FAQ

Is Randy Johnson the only pitcher to hit a bird?

How many times has a bird been hit during a baseball game? While Gallen’s incident happened before the game, his and Johnson’s hit on birds aren’t the only time it’s happened in professional baseball. Former New York Yankees outfielder Dave Winfield killed a seagull on a warm-up throw on Aug. 4, 1983 in Toronto.

What are the odds of Randy Johnson hitting a bird?

Mike Swanson, the Diamondbacks PR director at the time of Johnson’s incident — which had one-in-13 million odds of occurring according to one calculation — previously told The Athletic: “I can’t say I saw the bird, but I saw this image coming from our dugout.

How many MLB teams are named after birds?

There are three MLB teams named after birds: The Baltimore Orioles, the Toronto Blue Jays, and the St. Louis Cardinals. First, these are great choices because they’re specific. No invented baloney “Thunder Falcons” or anything, not even generic “hawks” or “eagles.” These are classic, small, passerines.