On the same day Pittsburgh Pirates star prospect Paul Skenes made his MLB debut, the franchise’s next big attraction was roaming the outfield of the team’s Single-A affiliate in Bradenton: a turtle .
In the top of the second inning, play between the St. Lucie Mets and the Bradenton Marauders was temporarily interrupted by a curious reptile crawling on the center field grass at LECOM Park in Bradenton, Florida.
So much for concerns about baseball’s pace of play. Changes to the sport have allowed even turtles to move at breakneck speeds.
We saw cats. We saw birds… but a turtle?? 🐢
🎥 @The_Marauderspic.twitter.com/8VAWZbvw88
– The Athletic (@TheAthletic) May 12, 2024
As Bradenton players Sergio Campana and Esmerlyn Valdez watched in bemusement at the testudine in the outfield, Marauders reliever Magdiel Cotto saved the day. Cotto picked up the reptile and ran with it to the bullpen.
Marauders broadcaster Thomas Zinzarella said Athleticism the turtle was kept in the bullpen for a few innings before being released into a pond that extends beyond the outfield wall.
“As Cotto also told me, I would say this is a first and a bucket list item,” Zinzarella said after the match. “This isn’t the first time I’ve dealt with animals on the show either. Last year when I was with the Hudson Valley Renegades, my broadcast partner Joe Vasile and I had a wild goose on the field that went viral on social media.
“I always loved Kevin Harlan’s TV and radio calls about the animals in the field, so I tried to have some fun with it! A memorable evening for sure!
Saturday’s heroic game for Cotto ended with two scoreless innings for Cotto to earn his first professional save.
Including Skenes, – who struck out seven in his debut Saturday and, like the Turtle, wowed Pittsburgh fans with his speed – the Pirates entered 2024 with four prospects in AthleticismThis is Keith Law’s top 100. Two of the organization’s top 20 prospects, Omar Alfonzo and Michael Kennedy, currently play for Bradenton.
Neither should lose their place in the rankings to their new turtle teammate.
Nearly 3,000 miles away, another animal wandered into the outfield of a baseball field, this time in San Francisco. There, the game between the Giants and Cincinnati Reds didn’t even stop as a pesky pelican roamed the shallow outfield.
As the game continued, Giants outfielder Heliot Ramos made an impressive diving catch just a few feet short of the birdie. It is unclear whether the San Francisco ovation was for the play or for the pelican.
A pesky pelican was added as a fourth outfielder today
(Help with this incredible catch from Heliot Ramos) pic.twitter.com/v9gMbo8BFx
-KNBR (@KNBR) May 12, 2024
Required reading
(Photo: Josh TiJong / MLB Photos via Getty Images)
News Source : theathletic.com
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