Will Brennan just tried to hit the ball. What happened next was not by design.
Cleveland’s rookie outfielder hit a hard roller that accidentally killed a bird roaming the outfield grass during the second inning of the Guardians’ 3-0 win over the Chicago White Sox on Monday night.
With no outs and a runner on first base, Brennan, a left-handed hitter, went the other way on a 92.6 mph fastball from Chicago’s Jesse Scholtens. The liner connected with a small bird that had gone into a dangerous place.
The ball, clocked at 100.1 mph, sent the bird flying, and when Brennan reached first, he reacted by putting his hands on his helmet and grimacing. The umpires called time, allowing a member of the grounds crew to remove the dead bird with a shovel.
After the game, Brennan posted an apology on Twitter to People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).
“Truly sorry @peta and bird enthusiasts,” Brennan wrote. “A pitiable sacrifice.”
It’s the second time in a week that a major leaguer has killed a bird unintentionally.
Last week, Arizona pitcher Zac Gallen accidentally hit and killed a bird while warming up on the field before the Diamondbacks played the Oakland Athletics. Gallen threw a curveball that hit the bird in mid-flight and killed it.
Gallen’s shot was reminiscent of Arizona Hall of Fame pitcher Randy Johnson, who wiped out a bird that flew across the plate and left-handed fastballs during a spring training game in 2001.
Report from The Associated Press.
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