Welcome to the Pastball Podcast, a podcast that gives you a baseball story, some of baseball's history shorter than the amount of time you can run around the bases. I'm your host, Matt. Randy Johnson hits a bird? On March 24th, 2001, during a spring training game between the Arizona Diamondbacks and the San Francisco Giants, Randy Johnson, one of baseball's most dominant pitchers, threw a fastball that famously struck a bird in flight. The incident, which occurred in the bottom of the first inning, made headlines worldwide.

Johnson, known for his intimidating presence on the mound and his blazing fastball, was pitching to Giants batter Kelvin Murray when the surreal moment took place. The bird, likely a dove, flew across the path of Johnson's pitch just as he released the ball. The fastball struck the bird mid -air, resulting in a puff of feathers and a bizarre spectacle on the field. The impact instantly killed the bird, and its remains fell to the ground near home plate. Johnson, visibly surprised by the event, continued pitching without incident.

The incident was captured on video and quickly went viral, becoming one of the most memorable and unusual moments in baseball history. Despite the oddity of the event, Johnson's pitch was ruled a no -pitch, and the game continued as normal. The incident added to the legend of Randy Johnson, who would go on to be inducted into baseball's Hall of Fame in 2015.

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