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    MLB Pitcher Accidentally Hits and Kills Bird with Curveball

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    In a bizarre turn of events, an Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher threw a ball that collided with a bird in mid-flight. The bird reportedly did not survive the incident.

    While this incident is certainly strange, what many have found to be even more absurd is that this is the second time in the team’s history that a player killed a bird with a pitch. This time, starting pitcher Zac Gallen threw a pitch in pregame warmups that drilled a flying bird on its way to the catcher. According to the Associated Press, Gallen was taken aback by the sight of a dead bird on the field:

    “I don’t really know what happened, honestly. I just know that the ball changed directions really. I saw what happened. It’s kind of a freak accident. It’s unfortunate.”

    Randy Johnson is the other Arizona Diamondback to have accomplished this crazy feat, doing so in 2001. That collision happened during a Spring Training game between the Diamondbacks and the San Francisco Giants. The Athletic noted this coincidence on Twitter, saying:



    March 24, 2001: Diamondbacks pitcher Randy Johnson hit a bird with a fastball.

    May 17, 2023: Diamondbacks pitcher Zac Gallen hit a bird with a curveball.

    Arizona fans will no doubt be hoping that Gallen is not too shaken up by this incident, as his play on the mound has been good enough to keep the team in the playoff picture so far this season. Sports Illustrated wrote about Gallen’s season so far, saying:

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    As for more pleasant things to discuss, Gallen has been incredible to start the season for the Diamondbacks. He’s 6-1 right now with a 2.35 ERA and has struck out 70 batters in 57.1 innings.

    For his career, he’s 28-23 with a 3.01 ERA and a 1.07 WHIP. He had a great season in 2022, when he went 12-4 with a 2.54 ERA in 31 starts.

    He’s a huge reason why the Diamondbacks are out to a great start this year. Arizona defeated Oakland on Wednesday to move to 25-19 on the season. They are in second place in the National League West, trailing the Dodgers by three games.

    CBS Sports also highlighted Gallen’s outstanding play in their most recent power rankings, saying:

    Zac Gallen, man. Good grief. He now has 70 strikeouts against eight walks in 57 1/3 innings. That goes with a 2.35 ERA, 1.77 FIP and 0.86 WHIP. Ridiculous.

    Now that this wild moment of Deja vu has happened, it begs the question. Will Zac Gallen begin to play like a prime Randy Johnson? Diamondbacks fans are hoping thats the case. Johnson, who is now in the Hall of Fame, was one of the most dominant pitchers in MLB history when he was in Arizona. If Gallen can steal even a little bit of that dominance, the Diamondbacks will be in a wonderful position going into the warm summer months.

    The featured image is a screenshot from an embedded tweet.