MLB Pitcher Accidentally Hits and Kills a Bird with His Throw
Arizona Diamondbacks player Zac Gallen unintentionally killed a bird when warming up for a game against the Oakland Athletics
Arizona Diamondbacks's Zac Gallen joins a small group of athletes who experienced an improbable tragedy: accidentally hitting a bird with a baseball toss.
On Wednesday, the pitcher unintentionally killed a bird with a baseball when warming up before a game. Ahead of playing the Oakland Athletics, the 27-year-old threw a curveball that accidentally hit a passing bird.
Unfortunately, the bird died from the incident — which was caught on video.
Strangely enough, this is not the first bird to be tragically struck by a baseball nor is it the first Diamondbacks pitcher to throw the deadly ball.
Back in 2001, then pitcher Randy Johnson threw a fastball in the seventh inning of a game against the New York Yankees. The Baseball Hall of Famer's pitch killed a bird that was unfortunately flying by at the wrong time.
These two instances, more than 20 years apart and involving pitchers from the Arizona team, are the only publicized examples in MLB history of a bird being killed with a baseball throw, according to CNN.
Related:Exhausted Dog Rescued from Mountain After Reaching the Top and Refusing to Leave
Fortunately, feathery injuries are rare on sports fields and there are many comical stories of animals stealing the show at sporting events. Back in October, a goose was on the loose at a San Diego Padres vs. Los Angeles Dodgers game at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. Game play stopped while the goose flew around the field, causing the grounds crew to run in an attempt to capture the bird in a trash can.
In 2021, two separate instances of animals visiting the baseball diamond happened on the very same day in two different games. At Yankees Stadium a game against the Baltimore Orioles was halted when a cat wandered onto the field. Meanwhile, down in Washington, D.C., Nationals player Victor Robles had a praying mantis sit on top of his baseball cap during a game against the Phillies.
For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!
Read the original article on People.
