When an Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher does something only Randy Johnson has done in franchise history, it’s assumed it’s a great pitching achievement.
Except what happened Wednesday.
Pitcher Zac Gallen was throwing a warmup session in the outfield of Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum prior to the team’s afternoon game against the Oakland Athletics, since it’s his off day. But during one of his pitches, a reported curveball nonetheless, a bird flew right through the path of the ball, and unfortunately, was hit midair.
A Bally Sports Arizona’s camera captures the entire sequence.
The right-hander reportedly “couldn’t wait to tell everybody” about the incident, and the bird “is no longer with us” according to Bally Sports Arizona.
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Diamondback pitchers hitting birds
Seeing an Arizona pitcher hit a bird brings back memories of when the Hall of Famer Johnson did the same.
22 years ago, Johnson was pitching during a spring training game against the San Francisco Giants, and during the seventh inning, a bird flew right in front of home plate during a pitch and was hit by the ball. That bird also died, as the catcher at the time, Rod Barajas, said “all you see is an explosion” and then-Giants second baseman Jeff Kent went on the field, picked up the bird and took it back to the dugout. It is unknown what happened afterward.
When Johnson described what happened in an interview with Fox Sports Arizona in 2016, he said it was “a blur.”
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. Ontario police arrested Winfield after the game and charged him with animal cruelty, but charges were later dropped. In 2014, Jonathan Maciel was pitching for the West Michigan Whitecaps, the Class-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers, when he appeared to hit a black bird. A grounds crew member went out and picked up the bird’s body.
