Cleveland Guardians' Will Brennan pays homage to bird he accidentally killed after hitting home run
It’s been a bad week for birds in Major League Baseball, but Cleveland Guardians right fielder Will Brennan paid homage to them on Tuesday after inadvertently killing one earlier in the week.
The unfortunate incident for Brennan occurred on Monday, when he drilled a ground ball to shortstop and struck the bird, leaving it dead on the base paths. He would apologize with a tweet after the game.
On Tuesday, he got a chance to do even more.
Coming to the plate in the bottom of the third inning in a scoreless game against the Chicago White Sox, Brennan got hold of a pitch and laced it out to right center field over the wall for a solo home run. As he rounded the base paths, he made a bird symbol with his hands right as he passed over the spot his winged companion had taken its last breath.
Oddly enough, Will Brennan’s paying homage came on a week when not one but two birds were killed at a Major League game.
Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Zac Gallen also accidentally killed a bird with a throw during a warm-up session before the team’s game against the Oakland Athletics on May 18, hitting it with a curveball in the outfield and dropping the bird dead.
While birds meeting their maker on the wrong end of a two-seamer is very rare, it’s not unheard of.
Former Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Randy Johnson famously hit one during a live game back in 2001, sending up a tuft of feathers after drilling it on a pitch to home plate during a game.
Johnson’s throw happened during a spring training game but was televised, capturing the attention of millions as it went viral.
Brennan’s gesture will go a long way toward pacifying some who will be upset at the unfortunate occurrence. Even he seemed in disbelief that he had actually struck a bird and killed it as he reached first base following the fatal ground ball.
“I truly am sorry @peta and bird enthusiasts,” Brennan wrote on Twitter on Monday. “An unfortunate sacrifice.”
Will Brennan’s homage will be remembered.
Brennan is a former eighth-round draft pick out of Kansas State who made his MLB debut on Sept. 21. He has a .213 average this season, with two home runs and 11 RBI.