Over the weekend, a Cubs vs. Mariners spring training game fell off the rails in the third inning when a swarm of bees invaded center field and harassed Cubs outfielder Jason Heyward.
The umps halted the proceedings while the grounds crew dealt with the apiarian miscreants, but fans in attendance seemed to enjoy watching Heyward dodge, duck, dip, dive, and dance his way around the pests.
@JasonHeyward got the moves! #bees #SpringTraining #cubs pic.twitter.com/FVz8lbIdXr
— Chrissy (@cizzy721) March 27, 2016
Which got us thinking: Why shoo away the furry and flighty critters from our national pastime? Let them spice up a nine-inning, 2-1 snoozefest of a game by darting onto the field with the bullpen crew in hot pursuit. We already see at least a few games per season where players take their at-bats with a pigeon or two on the field of play—let the tradition continue! Cat darting around the infield? Play ball! Walk-off single into a field of seagulls? That’s the ballgame!
Sure, baseball may need to think up a few new rules for exploding bird-related interferences, but that’s the beauty of this game: more than 100 years old and still able to adapt to the times.