There can be many animal-related delays when it comes to baseball, as we saw recently in Arizona, but the turtle delay may be the first of its kind.
The Single-A St. Lucie Mets and Bradenton Marauders were shocked Saturday when a swift turtle invaded the field at Lecombe Park in Bradenton, Fla., and the game was briefly suspended in the second inning.
Marauders outfielders Sergio Campana and Esmerlin Valdez perplexed and tried to coax the reptile outside center field, until relief pitcher Magdiel Cotto sprang into action to remove it.
Cott grabbed the turtle with both hands and trotted it back to the bullpen, where it remained for several innings before being released into a nearby pond. The Athletic reported.
“As Cotto said, this is the first item, I think it’s definitely a bucket list item,” Marauders broadcaster Thomas Zinzarella said.
“This isn’t the first time I’ve had an animal encounter on the air. Last year, when I was with the Hudson Valley Renegades, my broadcast partner Joe Vasile and I had a wild goose in the field, and it turned into a social media I loved watching Kevin Harlan call out animals in the fields on TV and radio, so it was definitely going to be a memorable night. !”
In the end, the Marauders defeated the Mets 4-3.
There has been a spate of animal-related baseball incidents in recent days, including a pelican roaming the outfield during a Giants-Reds game in San Francisco on Saturday, but play was not interrupted.
On April 30th, a swarm of bees gathered in the netting behind home plate at Chase Field, causing significant delays and making a local beekeeper the hero.
