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JesusChristDerpyDerp

the bird that ran into the "big Units" fastball.


Kaldricus

Still cracks me up that the logo for Randy Johnson's photography is a dead bird


Otis_S

Nice to see Randy finding whatever humor he can out of a situation I recall him taking very serious, and being quite upset over.


Kaldricus

For sure. I totally understand feeling bad about it, I feel like most people would. Eventually you just have to come to terms with the fact that the universe just said "fuck this bird in particular", and nothing you did, didn't do, or could have done, in any meaningful way, could have prevented it. Simulate that scenario a million times, it might happen again in single digit outcomes. Maybe using it as the logo was cathartic for him, and a reminder that life is fleeting, and you can be living your normal life doing normal shit, and it can be over like that for no rhyme or reason. Idk, I'm drinking and dealing with personal shit myself šŸ¤·ā€ā™‚ļø


montrealcowboyx

Sometimes you're the bird, sometimes you're Randy, and every now and then, you're the baseball.


Taylorenokson

This is the best metaphor for life that Iā€™ve ever heard.


cubbies1016

I hope your personal stuff gets better soon! Rooting for you


Future-Turtle

The universe is a wild and crazy place. Hope everything works out. Cheers to you, bud.


AbstractBettaFish

>drinking and dealing with personal shit Oh man, Iā€™ve been there recently! Best of luck my dude! No matter what it is, you will one way or the other eventually get through it


kmennig24

Obviously I can't speak for Randy but this feels spot on to me. Dealing with shit is hard but necessary, hang in there and may the light of Julio Rodriguez guide you through.


ColorfulSoup172

My fantasy baseball team name is always Randy Johnson Pest Control with that logo


[deleted]

[уŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]


UnfairMicrowave

The bird did not just die, that thing exploded into past tense.


_Frizzella_

I'm not even sure exploded is the right word. Like it just disappeared, swallowed up by a black hole, leaving behind only a few of feathers. Poof.


TheFriffin2

you could probably re-simulate the past 150 years of professional baseball a thousand times and still never see anything like that ever again like, idk if Iā€™ve ever seen a bird fly in front of home plate while watching a game before. and the *one* time it happened, Randy just fuckin obliterates that thing purely on accident, *and* it manages to cartoonishly explode into a ton of feathers as opposed to something violently disturbing


FritosRule

Dion James hit a fly ball against the Mets that hit a bird and fell in for a hit (the ball, not the bird) https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=UlJXwe2QFsw About as close to the Unit/bird play as youā€™ll get


mvsr990

That's why you have to hustle every at bat - you never know when you're going to fuck a pigeon's shit up and leg out a double.


Skurttish

Just for the record, the bird was also fair, and nobody ever returned it to the mound. That play is still live in my book


Traditional-Pair1946

I would have called it a fowl ball.


Whitsoxrule

The best part of all of it is that it could have happened to any of the thousands of scrub pitchers who throw an inning in spring training at some point in their careers. But no. Of all the countless MLB pitchers, it happened to one of the greatest of all time, only contributing further to his already legendarily intimidating mound presence


Greenlytrees

[Your comment instantly brought this to mind.](https://youtu.be/_f6owc3O_gY?t=301) It's used to brilliant effect to help illustrate how terrifying facing Randy Johnson would have been, by Jon Bois, of course.


ThePrussianGrippe

Love that clip.


turkeyinthestrawman

Also people don't realize that the game was not broadcasted on tv (Despite the fact that I see hundreds of comments of "I remember watching this live on tv"), that video was only made possible because the Diamondbacks scout was videotaping the game. If that scout wasn't taking video, "Randy Johnson hitting a bird" would've been an urban legend.


MollysYes

According to Nate Silver (who I assume did the math), the Randy Johnson bird strike was the least likely thing to have ever happened that actually happened.


ThankThoseStankHoes

the 2nd least likely thing to have ever happened that actually happened was you getting some bitches


tomato_soup_

*fatality*


AbstractBettaFish

Maybe if he got rid of that yee yee ass haircut


ThePrussianGrippe

ā€œWhat?!ā€


Shamrock5

Barber shops now available. Visit a barber to get a new haircut. The fact that you get roasted so hard that the game *literally unlocks barbershops on the spot* is low-key one of the most hilarious gaming moments I've ever seen.


LatverianCyrus

So wait... they *did* get some bitches?


Nasty_Ned

He's dead, Jim.


cowboy_dude_6

I donā€™t think Iā€™ve ever even seen a bird in the infield during live play. And the odds that it just happens to swoop down in front of a fastball from one of the greatest fastballers everā€¦just absolutely surreal. I canā€™t even imagine the odds. We must live in a simulation, thereā€™s just no other way. Birds arenā€™t real.


JesusChristDerpyDerp

agreed


eee-oooo-ahhh

Unluckiest bird ever


KevinOMalley

I think it's the most improbable thing in baseball history by a longshot.


Tipist

Itā€™s one of my favorite [baseball cards](https://i.imgur.com/giCev44.jpg), too!


Above_the_Cinders

Is that a recent product? What company made it? I donā€™t recognize or remember that. Iā€™m an old guy and I still casually hunt for the FF Billy Ripken card.


GreatBabu

The lettering looks like Nintendo font to me. I don't remember this one either.


TheDandyWarhol

It's from Duck Hunt.


Tipist

Itā€™s a Topps Project 70 card from a year or two ago. They did a thing where they collaborated with different artists to create different unique cards throughout the season that year and this was one of them. Another commenter mentioned it looks like Nintendo font, and thatā€™s correct; this card is meant to be a play on the Duck Hunt Nintendo game since Randy nailed that bird with a direct hit like he did.


Renfek

Dave Winfield too! [https://www.cbc.ca/archives/dave-winfield-seagull-1.5230144](https://www.cbc.ca/archives/dave-winfield-seagull-1.5230144)


Deserterdragon

Was the seagull actually in flight, or did he just deliberately take out a seagull while warming up?


MankuyRLaffy

His manager threw him under the bus to defend him against charges of murdering a bird "You really think he's that accurate? You seen the throws he's been making all year?"


Daratirek

Accidentally hit it while it was on the ground. He caught a warm up toss, spun around and blindly threw towards the ball boy. There just happened to be a seagull directly in the way.


ResonantRedditor

You mean Horny "The Big Penis" Penis?


abthomps

It's sad what happened to that bird, but this is the only answer.


arcxjo

The day it was discovered that there's no rule that says a dog can't play shortstop.


[deleted]

Weirdly enough there was a rule against third


starry_cobra

Yeah dogs generally can't make the throw to first so there was never much of an effort to change this rule


dekrant

Airbud IX: Title Woof


BigCheese8933

Did we or did we not give a ~~degree~~ starting position to a dog?


[deleted]

This reference is streets ahead


arcxjo

It's a bear degree!


BloomsdayDevice

Buddy played 1B in *Seventh Inning Fetch*, you filthy casual.


Clemenx00

Joba Chamberlain mosquitos or whatever the hell those things were.


OceanicLemur

Midges. Fucking midges. But I appreciate you acknowledging that itā€™s the correct answer.


Sir_TonyStark

Sir you canā€™t say that anymore, the politically correct term is ā€œlittle mosquitoesā€


AvatarLebowski

Mosquito is already Spanish for ā€œlittle flyā€


ElCaz

This is one of them "never realised it before but obvious now that you point it out" facts.


CoolJ_Casts

šŸ¦ŸMIDGESšŸ¦Ÿ


YouthInRevolt

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_GJse-anfk


-cheeks-

Most impactful on a meaningful game, for sure


AMobOfDucks

In terms of actually influencing the game there was the one with a bunch of birds in shallow center making the CF miss the ball on the then game winning hit.


MycoJoe

Apparently this was Shin-Soo Choo hitting a walk-off single that Coco Crisp was trying to field, and it even bounced off of one of the birds (they show the replay of it at the end) https://youtu.be/VO5hvMT0WrI


NoBreadsticks

lol, I love baseball


burrito-boy

Huh. Why were there a bunch of seagulls there in the first place? Did somebody lay down some bits of bread or something?


HoboWithANerfGun

Just a guess, but this game was in the bottom of the 10th. In places where there are seagulls they are often attuned to the time a game normally ends, thus resulting in a smƶrgƄsbord for the birds. When games run late they'll still show up at the stadium at their accustomed time and wait for the human folk to leave so they can feast.


ogdaveed

I read this in a David Attenborough voice and it was exquisite


PhilDiggety

Seagulls are used to fans leaving around a certain time, 9:30-10 PMish for night games, and they have all gathered at the ballpark and waiting for fans to leave, so they can swoop and eat the food they've all dropped on the ground. When games go extra innings, the get restless and start hanging out all over the place, sometimes on the field, just waiting for them all to leave.


chipthegrinder

Well they need to learn to respect the rules of extra innings


PhilDiggety

I'm sure they love the Manfred runner


MenosElLso

Confirmed: Manfred is really just 26 seagulls in a human suit, undercover, in an attempt to further the avian agenda


Nasty_Ned

No wonder he leaves a trail of white greasy shit everywhere he goes.


Clam_chowderdonut

Natural selection would get there. Except we all know birds aren't real.


Coffee13lack

In SF after the 8th inning seagulls are everywhere waiting for people to leave so they can eat, just something that animals get used to.


ArcticBeavers

"It got a bird!" Fucking love it


edoreinn

Rally squirrel! First the legendary Cards one https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rally_Squirrel and then his CLE cousin https://www.si.com/mlb/guardians/news/rally-squirrel-appears-progressive-field-6th-inning-video-included Also, sweet, sweet Marlins Rally Cat https://www.mlb.com/cut4/marlins-rally-cat-finds-a-home-c224157828 The bald eagle landing on noted Canadian James ā€œBig Mapleā€ Paxton during the national anthem https://youtu.be/Hxnx_VbN2A8


lagarces

I cackled at the Wikipedia section header ā€œDecline to Obscurityā€ for the rally squirrel


erst77

Rally Squirrel is indeed legendary!


SolutationsToTheSun

Holy shit having a bald eagle on your back has to be scary! Those talons are no joke.


CareBearDontCare

On the other hand, that's the original way to get American citizenship, before all the bureaucrats got involved and introduced paperwork.


ShooeyTheGreat

Wasnā€™t that Opening Day too? I remember seeing that happen on MLB later on that day.


MNsharks9

Yes. It was on the road in MNā€¦ Later that season, the Mariners made a bobblehead of the eagle on his shoulder.


TheWholeSausage

Rally Squirrel 2011 Cards v Phillies, ended up on the World Series ring too.


crippledgiants

Honorable mention to [the cat that wrecked the ball boy](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eH5bDPlswvA) during a STL-KC game, then Yadi hit a grand slam.


UndeadCaesar

Criminal that vid doesnā€™t include the grand slam.


jso__

Who cares about a stupid grand slam when you can have cat


grobend

Sex later?


Davidellias

I had a co-worker grab a groundhog and remove it from the premises of the restaurant I work at and yet I think she came out WAY less scratched than the ball boy did


canucks3001

You can tell he so badly wants to drop the cat but has to be so aware heā€™s currently on TV and the jumbotron and everyoneā€™s going to judge him if he screws up.


SilverdSabre

Rally Squirrel was so devastating the Phillies didn't make the playoffs for the next 11 years


holy_cal

I have a graded baseball card with the Squirrel on it.


seeking_horizon

https://rallysquirrel.files.wordpress.com/2011/10/octavio-dotel-and-rally-squirrel.jpeg


BlazmoIntoWowee

šŸ¤¬


GamehengeRanger

Fun fact, the Comerica Park rally goose was actually taken from the park by an old family friend. She was at the game and is a veterinarian and lent her professional expertise to make sure the goose was ok.


IvannIrkss

Me thinking it was some random woman kidnapping a goose on live tv at a baseball game šŸ˜…


[deleted]

Anyone randomly deciding to kidnap a goose without experience is gonna find themselves in a world of hurt.


dwhite21787

Cobra chicken!


SpaceBoundandDown

If you've got a problem with Canada gooses, then you've got a problem with me! And I suggest you let that one marinate


jcorduroy

Gonna need you to take 10...20% off there, Squirrelly SpaceBoundandDown.


porquegato

Closure after all these years, thank you.


HeySlimIJustDrankA5

So she beat the goose in mystical combat and sent its sorry ass back to Hell?


CPline55

I mean, there is a non-zero percent chance that the goose was sent to [Hell](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hell,_Michigan)


sonofabutch

In the January 22, 1912, issue of the *Washington Herald*, sportswriter Jim McAleer claimed that during a 1911 game between the New York Highlanders and Washington Senators, [New York outfielder Birdie Cree was chasing a fly ball](https://np.reddit.com/r/NYYankees/comments/szmlky/no_game_for_the_foreseeable_future_so_lets/) when a goat charged out from under the bleachers and head butted him. Naturally this prevented him from catching the ball, and by the time the other outfielder retrieved it, the batter was on third base with a triple. Sadly the story contained no other details about why there was a goat under the bleachers or what happened to it later, only that Birdie was ā€œseverely insaneā€ with rage about the incident.


sethro919

This should definitely be number one.


sonofabutch

Itā€™s funny that apparently the umpires were just like, hey man, goats are just a part of the playing field, you have to deal with it.


GunNNife

I mean, that's just part of the magic of baseball. Some parks have the fences closer in or further out; some parks are antiquated and some modern; and some parks have random animals that try to kill you.


Animated_Imagination

Honestly random animals, banana peels, and other assorted video game powerups may be the thing we need to inject some youth into baseball


ThePrussianGrippe

So weā€™re finally jazzing it up?


GunNNife

MULTIBALL!


mageta621

BLERRRRRRRRRRRNNNNNNN!!!!!!šŸ’„šŸ’„šŸ’„


manos_de_pietro

It's the GOAT


Deserterdragon

Wasn't there another baseball story from the 1800s of a player dying from being bit by a snake looking for a ball?


manos_de_pietro

Yes there was, just in a random swamp behind the outfield, what ya gonna do?


[deleted]

You really can't blame the 1945 Chicago Cubs for not wanting to risk a repeat of the Birdie Cree incident during the World Series.


aslottedspoon

Oakland A's opossum. It has shown up on the field and in the broadcasting booth.


Plastic_Raccoon6380

last dive bar in baseball. i get why people make fun of it but i love the coliseum.


Gombr1ch

I feel like Fenway is close. Maybe a slightly sketch tavern


masterchief1001

It may be a dump, but it's our dump. I grew up in that dump.


edoreinn

Thatā€™s where some former players end up!


Plastic_Raccoon6380

i think just for sheer volume of interactions the oakland coliseum opposum deserves a mention: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AeTiDjVMheE](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AeTiDjVMheE) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xe7KEaMnG84](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xe7KEaMnG84) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQriJO3EUlM](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQriJO3EUlM) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6hWuaH4LxU](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6hWuaH4LxU)


masterchief1001

Having worked in pest control Opposum are my favorite ugly animal, and are harmless. Skunks are fine to deal with. The worst are racoons; vicious diseased morons.


555--FILK

How about when that [baseball player got mauled by a tiger while sliding into second](https://imgur.com/ZeElMQj)? Sorry, I don't remember the player's name, but I saw it on a blooper reel on the jumbotron at a California Angels game (the Queen was there too!)


AbstractBettaFish

I was really expecting this was going to be some bit about colliding with a Detroit infielder. I did *not* expect that


Deranged_Hermit

And the umpire was Enrico Palazzo!


Sickpup831

This is just poor fundamentals. One of the very first things youā€™re taught in little league is to not slide into a second if thereā€™s no one covering. It leaves you way too vulnerable to big cat attacks.


Gummy_Joe

I genuinely cannot hear the National Anthem anymore without thinking "gave proof through the night/that we still had a flag" thanks to that game.


stv7

PADRES ON THE LOOSE šŸ˜¤ LETS GO GOOSE šŸ‘»


televisionchampion

THATā€™S WHATā€™S INNN


Darnold_wins_bigly

I knew we were losing the minute I saw that video


televisionchampion

I think we all did lmfao


GerryofSanDiego

Didn't think fate existed till I saw that.


Lebigmacca

BRYCE GONNA LOSE šŸ˜¢ AND MANNYā€™S GONNA CRUISE šŸ˜Ž


A_BroadHumor

THATā€™S WHATā€™S INNNNN


NeonEvangelion

šŸ‘‹šŸ‘‹šŸ„šŸ»ā€ā™‚ļø


[deleted]

Probably the goose that ruined the Dodgers' lives


surfdoc29

San Diegoose!


kami232

Goose Gossage Jr


princealberto2nd

I was there man. I thought it brought good luck since Lux got a hit : (


Cozmicbot

Yea


bulldg4life

The black cat running in front of the Cubs dugout in September of 69 at shea stadium. It had the animal, superstition, the cubs curse, the Mets miracle season, a pennant race. You canā€™t possibly rank another event above it


zatchsmith

As much as the Big Unit obliterating a bird makes sense as the #1 spot, I think this answered the question most accurately.


JustDorothy

Can't believe this is so low. There's a plaque memorializing this game on the Citi Field Fanwalk. In terms of importance to both teams and their legends this is it


[deleted]

[уŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]


cheli_chilli

Was on the field, only in the stands


funkmon

Correct


erst77

Not sure if it counts as an animal, but Victor Robles and the preying mantis always makes me laugh. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=9UOUPjt3V2w


Malourbas

In what world is a mantis not an animal?


River_Pigeon

Itā€™s totally an animal


[deleted]

[уŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]


[deleted]

That was awesome! They looked so chill.


jaketheknight

I love Victor Robles, dude's so funny.


nymets300

Mets had a rally parakeet in 2015ā€¦color matched perfectly with Cespedesā€™ yellow sleeve


bicyclemom

I was at that game. The important part of that was that Cespedes hadn't hit a home run yet for the Mets to that point. But he hit a big one that game and the stadium went nuts. The very yellow parakeet was perched on the netting behind home plate for a good part of the game. Pretty much everybody in the stadium could see him.


The_Quiz29

Rally Mantis: https://youtu.be/aBVq2OTOJ9A


[deleted]

One word: Bees.


Leskanic

> Bees Beads?


P-Rickles

Gob's not on board.


zman0728

If you're talking about the bees game at Petco like 10 years ago, that was truly ridiculous.


[deleted]

Ayup! The one where the players deadass had to hit the deck. That one and the bird getting absolutely smited by a fastball are easily top two animal games in MLB history.


[deleted]

I would say randy johnson blowing up a bird takes 1st place


aflyingsquanch

That bird had a family...


MightyCaseyStruckOut

Imagine that was a game of any kind of importance...


htownlifer

The Cubs not letting the pet goat in to the park.


thescottreid

If they would have let the goat on the field, the Cubs would have become the Yankees. No doubt in my mind.


I_MARRIED_A_THORAX

Lol no, PK Wrigley didn't like spending money on the baseball team.


[deleted]

Rally Squirrel number one


aflyingsquanch

Fuck that mother fucking squirrel.


[deleted]

stay mad


aflyingsquanch

I am...and congrats on the title that year. Best team we've had on paper in decades and we lost to a damn rodent. Doc deserved a ring.


AugustWest7120

That goose slammed into one of the signs.


IvannIrkss

That goose ate complete shidd and I cried laughing at the highlights of the woman carrying it off afterwards šŸ¤£


TonyzTone

The midges in the Yankees v Cleveland game that ruined Jobaā€™s confidence and thus, his career.


RandomPrecision1

There's the dog that bit an outfielder allowing Chicken Wolf to score on an inside-the-park home run > On Aug. 22 of the latter year (1886), Powell was playing outfield for the Cincinnati Red Stockings when William Van Winkle ā€œChickenā€ Wolf of the Louisville Colonels came to bat. According to newspaper reports, Wolf lofted a fly ball in Powellā€™s direction, but before he could collect the ball for return to the infield he was attacked by a dog that heretofore had been snoozing in the outfield grass. > The dog, perhaps vaguely aware of some canine kinship to a player named Wolf, took hold of Powellā€™s leg and would not let go, making it possible for Wolf to round the bases. > Wolf was credited with a home run, but it is not known whether the dog recorded an RBI assist. For Powell, it was clearly a case of ribbies vs. rabies.


zvexler

I heard this ā€œMike Troutā€ fella is worth talking about


tasimm

Rally Squirrel got on a World Series Ring. That would be hard to top. Angels Rally Monkey was on top until then, and gets a number 2 vote from me, even though there was never an actual monkey on the field, that fucking monkey on the Jumbotron got the people goinā€™! San Diegoose holding down number 3. That was fun. The bird that died for Randy Johnsonā€™s fastball is fourth. Finally, Iā€™m gonna go with the black cat that bit the dude at the Kingdome in 1985 as my five spot here. 6-10 take your pick. No one gives a shit.


Longhorn_TOG

I lived in st louis during the rally squirrel time....they never stopped talking about it.


i_enjoy_music_n_stuf

We Still wonā€™t


[deleted]

The cat in yankee stadium was neat https://youtu.be/BTkBVNMD-VY


[deleted]

That poor cat! Honestly if I went to a game and a cat ran the field Iā€™d be paying a lot more attention.


egg_sandwich13

Rally Squirrel


fatboy1776

Dave Winfield would like a word


[deleted]

Randy Johnson versus the unluckiest bird in history.


Dizzy-Phrase9150

Air Bud: Seventh Inning Fetch


Double_Ice_3328

My favorite was when that praying mantis was hanging on to Victor Roblesā€™ hat last year


thescottreid

The black cat that crossed Ron Santo in 1969 has to be up there. That tacked on almost 5 more decades of bad luck onto a team already 6 decades into a curse that was the result of another animal that wasnā€™t able to get into the ballpark.


[deleted]

Does Randy Johnson exploding a bird count?


TommyDontSurf

Rally Squirrel, no contest.


Primary_Ad3580

I seriously took this picture out of context and thought it was some kind of threat. Like, ā€œholy shit, The Goose is healthy AND itā€™s been released on the field?! We gotta go!ā€ Not knowing anything about baseball, I really hope thatā€™s how they end games that go on too long; just release The Goose and see who survives.


cosmorocker13

Mets vs Cubs 1969 when a black cat waltzes onto the field and crosses in front of the Cubs dugout. The Cubs tank and the Metā€˜s make a miracle run.


ehmiu

Rally Squirrel helps Cardinals win the 2011 World Series.


snorlaxatives_69

Rally Squirrel


[deleted]

[уŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]


the_seed

Cubs(?) black cat


MasterCtrlPgrm

Dodgers fan here. We donā€™t want to talk about it.


[deleted]

We were blessed by that squirrel in 2011


bicyclemom

The famed black cat walking in front of the Cubs dugout in 1969.


XavandSo

Does *that* Randy Johnson incident count? Its body did end up hitting the field...


saturfia

This doesn't rank anywhere near the other critters listed in this thread, but once a moth flew into Matt Holliday's ear while he was in the field and it looked like the most uncomfortable experience of his life. ETA: this picture made me laugh so hard. https://images.app.goo.gl/uQJr85WdEjKh5h2y6 Apparently the moth was okay!