Will Brennan took the shot of his life, but no one would have expected what happened next. On 22 May, Cleveland Guardians reigned over the Chicago White Sox in a 3-0 victory.
As Brennan entered the field, all eyes were expectant of the rookie. His performance will reflect his future in Guardians. Then why did a baseball match suddenly turn into a “Duck Hunt?” Let’s dive deep into what happened on the field.
Who Is Will Brennan?
Will Brennan started his baseball journey at Kansas State University, playing college baseball for the Kansas State Wildcats. From 2017-2019, Brennan racked up enough credit, earning him the title of Freshman All-American and second-team All-Big 12 Conference by the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association.
Needless to say, Brennan was one of the frontrunners for being drafted into the major leagues. During the 2019 Major League ball, he was officially drafted by the Cleveland Indians in the eighth round. But his journey met an abrupt pause with the 2020 pandemic, canceling the minor league season.
But his consistent performance in 2021 got him promoted to a Double-A Minor League with the Akron Rubber Ducks. He later reached a new milestone with Triple-A Minr Lague play with Columbus Clippers.
After a steep career trajectory in the Minor League, he finally received his big break in the Major League with Cleveland Guardians, starting his contract on 21 September 2022. His stellar record might even gain him a nomination for the AL (American League) Rookie of the Year Award.
Will Brennan Bird Video Explained
While the Guardians were charging through against the White Sox, the second inning was a make-it-or-break-it bet. As Brennan stepped into the Batter’s Box, he was determined to validate his position in the active roster.
Chicago’s Jesse Scholtens stepped up his A-game, pitching at 92.6 MPH.
As seen in the video, Brennan thwarts the ball with full force, clocking the speed at 100.1 MPH. The ball zooms across the field in a matter of seconds, but a black silhouette is seen catapulted from the infield to the outfield area.
Everyone gasped at the dead bird who had wandered off into the infield area. Brennan’s hit to the left side of the field was a strategic shot, but the little bird lost its life, being connected to the line drive. After successfully running to the base, Will realized his stroke killed a bird, as he could only slam his hand on his head in disbelief. The crew soon came in to pick up the bird with a shovel.
To understand the magnitude of this hit, this is our average (being) calculation–
Brennan hit the ball at 100 MPH, which roughly converts to 45 meters/second. The distance between the Batter’s Box and the infield is approximately 60 feet or 18 meters. So, the ball hit the bird in a flash of just 0.4 seconds- that’s like the fastest Bugatti hitting a bicycle.
After the match, Brennan took to Twitter to express apology, and to be honest, this is the standard of sportsmanship and empathy expected.
He apologized to PETA, an organization that had earlier raised concerns about how baseball is a grave danger to birds.
Will Brennan Pays Homage In The Next Match
In the next match, Brennan continued his stellar performance. He hits it across the yard in an epic home run and pays homage to the bird in a rather sweet gesture just 24 hours later.
But Will is now officially in the “hall of fame in unfortunate events,” along with Zac Gallen, who just last week accidentally killed a bird midflight with his curve ball during a warmup before the Diamondbacks vs. Oakland Athletics.
Another baseball legend, Arizona Hall of Fame Pitcher Randy Johnson, accidentally killed a bird with his left-hander fastballs in 2001.
This past week was an interesting roller-coaster in sports, with other moments to remember.
What are your thoughts on this? Are you rooting for Cleveland Guardians?
What do you think of Will Brennan’s overall performance? Let us know in the comment section below.