During spring training in 2001, Hall of Famer Randy Johnson -- then with the Diamondbacks -- was pitching against the Giants. He threw a fastball to Calvin Murray, but the ball never reached home plate because it hit a bird. All you saw was a flash of feathers. The umpire ruled “no pitch” on the incident.
That almost happened in the second inning on Monday night, more than 15 years later. Cardinals starter Adam Wainwright had a full count on Royals second baseman Cheslor Cuthbert in a 2-2 game with a runner on first base. He threw a fastball and Cuthbert fouled it straight back, which is impressive because a bird flew right out in front of him as the pitch was coming in.
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Johnson joked about the incident with the bird last year:
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