Watch: 22 years ago today, Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Randy Johnson accidentally hit an unlucky bird
Arizona Diamondbacks' star pitcher Randy Johnson made a special kind of MLB history on a warm March day 21 years ago today. He hit a bird with a pitch. If you're learning about this seemingly impossible event for the first time, then today is your lucky day, because you get to see this clip for the first time.
Randy Johnson, nicknamed Big Unit, was one of the hardest throwing pitchers in the MLB at the time and was known for having a wicked fastball that pretty regularly clocked in over 100 mph. This bird could not have picked a worse pitch to fly in front of, and it definitely paid the ultimate price while simultaneously creating the most unique highlight video of all time.
Without further adieu, here is the video of the incident as posted on the Diamondbacks official Twitter.
"We had a funeral for a bird."
22 years ago today. https://t.co/zmxxO20yVl
"We had a funeral for a bird." 22 years ago today. - @ Arizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks and Randy Johnson are forever linked to this event
It's impossible not to wonder what was going through the minds of the players on the field as they watched a routine pitch result in an explosion of white feathers, but shock has to be the first word to come to mind. Even all these years later, it's difficult to believe what happened. It's hard to even think of any time a bird was even close to a live play, let alone getting rocked by a pitch.
The Diamondbacks would go on to win the game, because, of course, they did. Can you imagine losing the game after your pitcher kills a dove with a pitch? The fear generated alone would be enough to motivate the team.
The pitch was officially declared a dead ball and was essentially a redo, as the Arizona Diamondbacks explained on Twitter.
@shadowsneak14 The play was ruled a dead (pun not intended) and it was officially no pitch.
"The play was ruled a dead (pun not intended) and it was officially no pitch." - @ Arizona Diamondbacks
The catcher Rod Barajas had this to say when asked about the incident:
“I’m sitting there waiting for (the pitch), and I’m expecting to catch the thing, and all you see is an explosion. It’s crazy. There’s still feathers down there"
The batter during this shocking play, Calvin Murray of the San Francisco Giants, was one of the eight batters that Randy Johnson struck out that day. He said:
"...There were nothing but feathers laying on home plate. I never saw the ball, nothing but feathers.”
As if there weren't enough going on in this story, Calvin Murray is the uncle of current Arizona Cardinals starting quarterback Kyler Murray. If Kyler Murray ever hits a bird with a pass during an NFL game, it means we are clearly living in a simulation.
The pitch from Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Randy Johnson will never be forgotten, and frankly, if there wasn't video of it, I would assume it's fake.