It’s not often a spring training game goes down as one of most memorable games in MLB history, but 21 years ago, Randy Johnson gave one of the most infamous moments when his pitch didn’t make it to home plate Instead, it hit a bird.
A Hall of Famer who won 303 games in 22 seasons, Johnson was pitching for the Arizona Diamondbacks on March 24, 2001, in a spring training game against the San Francisco Giants in Tucson, Arizona.
The left-handed Johnson was set to throw a pitch in the 7th inning when a bird flew in. The ball hit the bird as it flew in front of home plate.
Here’s why this moment became so iconic:
Randy Johnson was known for throwing a fastball that could reach over 100 mph.
It’s not every day you see a dove explode in front of home plate, and this was all caught on camera.
YouTube videos of “Randy Johnson hits bird” have wracked up millions of views over the years, with one alone exceeding 5.8 million views.
Twenty-one years later, the pitch still lives in infamy, but not many…