Arizona Diamondbacks' Zac Gallen hits bird in warmups, channeling MLB legend Randy Johnson
Randy Johnson finally has company in the elite list of Arizona Diamondbacks pitchers who have hit birds while pitching.
On Wednesday, Zac Gallen was doing some off-day work in the outfield before Arizona's game against the Oakland Athletics, and the Diamondbacks right-hander hit a bird with a pitch.
Bally Sports Arizona caught the moment on video.
Gallen's feat with the bird doesn't quite match Johnson's, who hit a bird in a spring training game on March 24, 2001, but it is quite the impressive feat nonetheless.
Crazily, when "celebrating" the 20th anniversary of Johnson hitting a bird in 2021, we wrote: "What are the odds of that happening? It's safe to say very slim, right? We've never heard of it happening before or since Johnson did it, have you?"
We've now seen it twice.
Look back: Arizona Diamondbacks' Randy Johnson killed a bird with a pitch
Zac Gallen has joined Randy Johnson in the exclusive club of...
...hitting a bird with a pitch 🤯 pic.twitter.com/7E8SuITbbh— Bally Sports Arizona (@BALLYSPORTSAZ) May 17, 2023
Social media reacted to Zac Gallen hitting a bird with a pitch:
Zac Gallen really hit a bird with a curveball. pic.twitter.com/T6XOZudoMH
— Bally Sports Arizona (@BALLYSPORTSAZ) May 17, 2023
"In the spirit of Randy Johnson, I think you know where we're going with this."
Zac Gallen hit a bird with a pitch 😲pic.twitter.com/RwBKuerUCh— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) May 17, 2023
You can’t be an all-time Dbacks pitching legend unless you kill a bird with a baseball, unfortunately. That’s just the initiation process. Welcome to the club, Zac Gallen. pic.twitter.com/B9dRkFkOq1
— Jared Carrabis (@Jared_Carrabis) May 17, 2023
Is that Randy???
Nope, it’s Zac Gallen hitting a bird in warmups. What’re the odds of two Dbacks pitchers doing this? pic.twitter.com/2Ic8d7V1dz— Just Baseball (@JustBB_Media) May 17, 2023
Diamondbacks pitchers and birds...not a good combo.
Zac Gallen hit a bird during warm ups in Oakland and unfortunately the bird did not survive. pic.twitter.com/ySXMLCsW1i— Danny Vietti (@DannyVietti) May 17, 2023
Zac Gallen hit a bird 😱
The odds of this happening again and let alone to another Dbacks player is absolutely insane. pic.twitter.com/jYwCINWzZm— Ben Cary (@Ben_Cary_) May 17, 2023
Zac Gallen hit a bird and is now destined to become an All-Time great.
Good for him. Bad for the bird.
pic.twitter.com/2cwe52JH03— Ben Verlander (@BenVerlander) May 17, 2023
Johnson's feat in spring training was evidently a good omen: The Diamondbacks went on to win the World Series in 2001.
Perhaps Gallen's will be too?
Reach Jeremy Cluff at jeremy.cluff@arizonarepublic.com. Follow him on Twitter @Jeremy_Cluff.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona Diamondbacks' Zac Gallen hits bird, channels Randy Johnson
