Dead bird Cleveland
FeaturedMLBBy Arthur Weinstein on

Birds are suddenly an endangered species at MLB ballparks.

For the second time in five days Monday night, an MLB player hit and killed a bird at a game.

In the second inning, Cleveland Guardians outfielder Will Brennan hit a sharp line drive (100.1 mph) off Chicago White Sox pitcher Jesse Scholtens.

After the play, there was a dead bird between second and third base. Although a replay didn’t clearly show the ball striking the bird, the bird had not been there before Brennan’s hit.

A Guardians groundskeeper came out and scooped up the bird.

NBC Sports Chicago announcers Steve Stone and Jason Benetti has some fun with the bizarre incident.

“They just scooped it out. Oh boy. Well that’s too bad,” Benetti said.

“I hope he had good insurance,” Stone joked.

The play prompted an instant flashback to last Wednesday, when Arizona Diamondbacks ace Zac Gallen struck and killed a bird during his warmup tosses. That play itself had evoked memories of another Diamondbacks pitcher, the legendary Randy Johnson, striking and killing a bird with a pitch in 2001.

So, are our avian friends suddenly no longer welcome at MLB ballparks this season? How do the Baltimore Orioles and Toronto Blue Jays feel? This is a disturbing trend, as Twitter quickly noted.


[Cleveland Guardians; Photo Credit: Bally Sports]

About Arthur Weinstein

Arthur spends his free time traveling around the U.S. to sporting events, state and national parks, and in search of great restaurants off the beaten path.

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