Top 10 Wildest Animal Incidents In Sports

During a postseason game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Philadelphia Phillies, a squirrel captured the attention of baseball fans when it ran across the plate in Busch Stadium and then into the stands. Distracted by the squirrel, Phillies pitcher Roy Oswalt threw a pitch that was considered to be a ball, which irked both the Phillies player and the manager, who later said he would have shot the squirrel if he’d been armed. The St Louis Cardinals, for their part, considered the rodent, which they nicknamed “rally squirrel”, a good luck charm for contributing to the momentum that would win them the 2011 World Series.

Sometimes a cat running loose in a baseball stadium can be good luck for the team at bat, like Rally Cat was for the St. Louis Cardinals in 2017. However, a visit from a black cat didn’t work out so well for the Chicago Cubs during a September game back in 1969. The Cubs were leading the New York Mets in the pennant chase until a black cat darted past Cubs third baseman Ron Santo before he went to bat. The cat would prance around near the Cubs’ dugout, at one point even staring players down. After the cat left the field, the Cubs went on to lose that game to the Mets, who would later win the World Series that year. Many believe that the cat jinxed the team, which is why the incident is often considered as another infamous moment for one of the unluckiest teams in baseball.

An October 2009 game between the San Antonio Spurs and the Sacramento Kings was interrupted when a bat flew in and wreaked havoc in the arena. Spurs shooting guard Manu Ginobili stepped up and took on the bat, slapping it down with one hand and then picking it up to get rid of it. A similar event occurred in 2013 when a bat disrupted a college basketball game between Marquette and Providence, however, no one confronted the creature. Add bat swatter to Ginobili’s many accolades.

Given the bitter rivalry between the Yankees and the Red Sox, it takes something serious to distract sports fans from it- something like bees. During a 2014 spring training game between the two teams, bees swarmed into the field during the third inning, temporarily halting the game. While the grounds crew was working on the problem, Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira hilariously picked up some honey jars to see if that would help solve things. Of course, this wasn’t the only such incident, which can be concerning for fans attending the game, especially those who are allergic. A similar incident involving bees occured at a May 2013 game between the Anaheim Angels and the Baltimore Orioles. Here’s to hoping there isn’t a hidden correlation between bees and baseball...

While playing on the 17th hole at the 1998 Players Championship, Golfer Steve Lowery came across unusual interference. After Lowery’s ball landed, a seagull picked it up, flew away with it, then dropped it in the water. Fortunately for Lowery, he was not penalized, and was able to hit the ball again without the seagull having any effect on his score. Nonetheless, it is kind of scary to think all of your hard work can be ruined by some confused bird who shows up from the middle of nowhere.

When the worlds of animals and the sports intersect, it can play out as cute, or at worst, annoying. But for Australian surfer Mick Fanning, things got downright terrifying at the 2015 J-Bay Open in South Africa. While the three time ASP world champion was competing in the final round, a great white shark popped out and dragged him underwater, causing a broadcaster to curse live on air. Fanning retaliated by literally punching back and, aided by competitor Julian Wilson, was able to make it back to shore in one piece.

In 2013, a soccer match between Swiss teams FC Thun and Zurich was interrupted when a pine marten ran across the field. In a hurry to get the game back on track, defender Loris Benito was able to catch the critter and pick him up. However, for his act of bravery in picking up the wild animal, Benito suffered a minor injury, as the marten fought back and bit the player’s finger. The lesson here is... never mess with the marten.

In 1997, a freak occurrence took place at Southwell Racecourse in Nottinghamshire, England, when a racehorse named Formidable Flame escaped from its stall right before a scheduled race. It then left the track and ran loose among bystanders. During its rampage, the horse crushed a baby carriage, but miraculously, the two-month-old infant inside the carriage was not harmed. The horse then ran into the betting parlor before it was eventually subdued. The cause of the incident was thought to have been Formidable Flame being upset by the crowds. To all those planning on attending a horse race in the near future: do not anger the horses.

As cars were buzzing by at the 2007 V8 Supercar Championship in New South Wales, one kangaroo got the bright idea to join the race. When cars saw the kangaroo hopping in the middle of the track, several swerved to avoid hitting the marsupial, with at least one car veering off track. Fortunately for animal lovers, the kangaroo was able to leave the track unscathed. Since the 2007 incident, there have been quite a few kangaroo related episodes, which have been seen as a security concern for obvious reasons.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

Dog Interrupts Soccer Game

Seagulls at AT&T Park

Three Legged Alligator Crosses Fairway at Zurich Classic

The winner of five Cy Young Awards, Randy Johnson is one of the greatest pitchers in the history of baseball. One memorable moment of his career happened during a March 2001 spring training game against the San Francisco Giants. In the seventh inning, a dove flew in front of home plate, and, upon contact with one of Johnson’s fastballs, exploded, leaving only a pile of feathers. Sadly, that poor bird found out the hard way that when The Big Unit throws a fastball, you don’t get in front of it.