# Bizarre Baseball Question **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 27, 2001, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bizarre-baseball-question/59739 "2001-03-27T22:15:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![KP235](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9de0a6/32.png) [@KP235](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KP235)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2001, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bizarre-baseball-question/59739/1 "2001-03-27T22:15:21Z")
I was watching the news last night on our local FOX affiliate, and during the sports segment they had a clip that was just bizarre. During one of the games yesterday, I didn’t catch which one, a bird interfered with a pitch. If you didn’t see it, picture this: Camera angle is looking at home plate from behind the pitcher, pitcher winds up and releases, ball is headed toward home plate and from the right side of the screen you see a bird also flying toward home, then POOF, an explosion of feathers right in front of the plate as the bird and the ball meet. (Ok, I’ll admit, my inner sick puppy thought it was funny as hell.) Now the news didn’t go in to much detail about it, other than to say it was a dove, and they also mentioned the pitcher thought it was sad. (I’m sure, I imagine that story will be shared for years) What I was wondering was, how would that pitch be scored ? Would it be a dead pitch (ouch, bad pun), or would it be a live ball until someone retrieved it? ---
**Author:** ![zev\_steinhardt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/97f17d/32.png) [@zev\_steinhardt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zev_steinhardt)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2001, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bizarre-baseball-question/59739/2 "2001-03-27T22:44:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by KP235 \* > \*\*I was watching the news last night on our local FOX affiliate, and during the sports segment they had a clip that was just bizarre. During one of the games yesterday, I didn’t catch which one, a bird interfered with a pitch. If you didn’t see it, picture this: Camera angle is looking at home plate from behind the pitcher, pitcher winds up and releases, ball is headed toward home plate and from the right side of the screen you see a bird also flying toward home, then POOF, an explosion of feathers right in front of the plate as the bird and the ball meet. > (Ok, I’ll admit, my inner sick puppy thought it was funny as hell.) > Now the news didn’t go in to much detail about it, other than to say it was a dove, and they also mentioned the pitcher thought it was sad. (I’m sure, I imagine that story will be shared for years) > What I was wondering was, how would that pitch be scored ? > Would it be a dead pitch (ouch, bad pun), or would it be a live ball until someone retrieved it? > \*\* My guess is that the pitch would be a ball as long as the batter does not swing. See the definintion of “ball” from the Official Rules: > [@](#): > > A BALL is a pitch which does not enter the strike zone in flight and is not struck at by the batter. If the pitch touches the ground and bounces through the strike zone it is a “ball.” If such a pitch touches the batter, he shall be awarded first base. If the batter swings at such a pitch after two strikes, the ball cannot be caught, for the purposes of Rule 6.05 © and 6.09 (b). If the batter hits such a pitch, the ensuing action shall be the same as if he hit the ball in flight. As with any other pitched ball, the ball would be live and runners may try to advance at their discretion. Zev Steinhardt ---
**Author:** ![Bottle\_of\_Smoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Bottle\_of\_Smoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bottle_of_Smoke)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2001, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bizarre-baseball-question/59739/3 "2001-03-27T22:55:25Z")
OK, you can see this one coming all the way up the street, but… Wouldn’t it be ruled a fowl ball? ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2001, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bizarre-baseball-question/59739/4 "2001-03-27T23:12:36Z")
Baseballs have hit birds while in play before; just a few years ago, Dion James literally hit a double off a bird that was flying over the outfield. The bird did not survive the experience. Balls that hit birds are in play. So the pitch should have been called a ball, as per Zev’s reference. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2001, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bizarre-baseball-question/59739/5 "2001-03-27T23:18:53Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by RickJay \* > \*\*Baseballs have hit birds while in play before; just a few years ago, Dion James literally hit a double off a bird that was flying over the outfield. The bird did not survive the experience. > > Balls that hit birds are in play. So the pitch should have been called a ball, as per Zev’s reference. \*\* _Batted_ balls that hit birds are in play, but the rules are silent concerning a pitched ball. In this case, the plate ump ruled dead ball/no pitch; which, IMHO as an amateur ump and rules geek, was the right call. ---
**Author:** ![BigStar303](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/dec6dc/32.png) [@BigStar303](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigStar303)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2001, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bizarre-baseball-question/59739/6 "2001-03-28T03:53:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by jsc1953 \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by RickJay \* > > \*\*Baseballs have hit birds while in play before; just a few years ago, Dion James literally hit a double off a bird that was flying over the outfield. The bird did not survive the experience. > > > > Balls that hit birds are in play. So the pitch should have been called a ball, as per Zev’s reference. \*\* > > _Batted_ balls that hit birds are in play, but the rules are silent concerning a pitched ball. In this case, the plate ump ruled dead ball/no pitch; which, IMHO as an amateur ump and rules geek, was the right call. \*\* OK, so we’ve covered batted balls and pitched balls. What about _fielded_ balls; i.e., balls fielded and then thrown by a fielder while a play is in progress? What happens when one of them hits a bird in flight? Is this not what happened with the Dave Winfield/seagull incident many years ago? I don’t recall the details of that one…does anyone else? ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2001, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bizarre-baseball-question/59739/7 "2001-03-28T04:05:54Z")
Dave Winfield DID kill a seagull with a baseball in Toronto, but not in the course of an official play. Winfield was merely tossing a ball around with the other outfielders, between innings. Seagulls often congregated on the field in Toronto, just as pigeons do at many other stadiums. Players generally regard them as a nuisance. Winfield saw a flock of seagulls, and tried to scare them away by throwing a ball in their direction. He succeeded in scaring off all but one- the one he hit and killed. At the time, all the Yankees seemed to be laughing about it. But somebody phoned the Toronto police, and reported Winfield for cruelty to animals. He was actually arrested… though I think he got off with a fine and a stern warning. ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2001, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bizarre-baseball-question/59739/8 "2001-03-28T06:00:49Z")
If it had been golf, the bird would have been an “outside agency” and there would be relief in some instances. If it had been a putt, you could retake the stroke from where you started. However, if it was any other type of stroke, it’s usually tough luck unless your shot ended up on top of the bird (or inside it). Then you could move it. ---
**Author:** ![JCThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/dc4da7/32.png) [@JCThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JCThunder)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2001, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bizarre-baseball-question/59739/9 "2001-03-28T06:05:20Z")
I heard about the incident in question on the radio today & they mentioned that it was available for viewing on the internet. I looked a bit, then realized that this was the place to get it found. So, where is it, dopers? ---
**Author:** ![black\_rabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f19dbf/32.png) [@black\_rabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/black_rabbit)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2001, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bizarre-baseball-question/59739/10 "2001-03-28T06:26:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by JCThunder \* > \*\*I heard about the incident in question on the radio today & they mentioned that it was available for viewing on the internet. I looked a bit, then realized that this was the place to get it found. So, where is it, dopers? \*\* [ta-da](http://espn.go.com/mlb/news/2001/0325/1161522.html). ---
**Author:** ![black\_rabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f19dbf/32.png) [@black\_rabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/black_rabbit)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2001, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bizarre-baseball-question/59739/11 "2001-03-28T06:36:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by astorian \* > \*\*But somebody phoned the Toronto police, and reported Winfield for cruelty to animals. He was actually arrested… though I think he got off with a fine and a stern warning. \*\* The ESPN page I linked to above says this: > [@](#): > > On Aug. 4, 1983, Yankees outfielder Dave Winfield killed a seagull in Toronto with a warmup throw. The Ontario police charged him with animal cruelty, although the charge was later dropped. ---
**Author:** ![JCThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/dc4da7/32.png) [@JCThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JCThunder)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2001, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bizarre-baseball-question/59739/12 "2001-03-28T06:37:25Z")
Wow, thanks. Bye-Bye Birdie. ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2001, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bizarre-baseball-question/59739/13 "2001-03-28T06:37:27Z")
You can pick it out on this site. Choose the option for it which is further down the screen. [http://espn.go.com/broadcast/video.html](http://espn.go.com/broadcast/video.html) ---
**Author:** ![Fatwater\_Fewl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/4491bb/32.png) [@Fatwater\_Fewl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fatwater_Fewl)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2001, 7:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bizarre-baseball-question/59739/14 "2001-03-28T07:39:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by KP235 \* > \*\* > What I was wondering was, how would that pitch be scored ? > Would it be a dead pitch (ouch, bad pun), or would it be a live ball until someone retrieved it? > \*\* It should have been called a ball, but the umpire ruled no pitch. You can read about it [here](http://espn.go.com/mlb/columns/stark_jayson/1162678.html). ---
**Author:** ![Fatwater\_Fewl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/4491bb/32.png) [@Fatwater\_Fewl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fatwater_Fewl)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2001, 7:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bizarre-baseball-question/59739/15 "2001-03-28T07:42:25Z")
> [@](#): > > Knowing the difference between cleverness and simplicity is the beginning of wisdom. Huh?