Bird hit by pitch in Minor League game (video)

Randy Johnson did something years ago that was thought to be a one in a million occurrence: he hit a bird with a pitch during a game. Who knows how many pitches have been thrown since the Big Unit obliterated that poor bird, but it happened again.

Jon Maciel, a pitcher for the West Michigan Whitecaps of the Detroit Tigers farm system hit a bird with a pitch yesterday. It wasn’t a fastball that sent feathers flying everywhere, but the bird did land on the field and had to be carried off by a member of the grounds crew before play continued.

This is a feat that is not recorded on the stat sheet, but only two players in professional baseball have been known to do so. Birds don’t need tickets like fans do, but they still assume risks of flying objects, especially when it’s between the white lines.