Randy Johnson : Bird Slayer

One of the craziest moments in sports happened during Spring Training in 2001, when Big Unit, Randy Johnson, threw one of his most memorable pitches (via Wikipedia) :

In a freak accident on March 24, 2001, during the 7th inning of a spring training game against the San Francisco Giants, Randy Johnson threw a fastball that struck and killed a dove. The bird swooped across the infield just as Johnson was releasing the ball. After being struck by the pitch, the bird landed dead amid a “sea of feathers.” The official call was “no pitch.”

It’s one of the most unforgettable scenes in Baseball, that you’ve no doubt seen dozens of times, but only from that one famous angle. Have you ever thought of the effect that event had on the ball?

…or what about from the Bird’s perspective? Lucky for you, Batting Stance Guy has recreated that angle :