Return of Cardinals’ Rally Squirrel? Squirrel Takes Over Phillies Game, Dives Into Dugout [Video]
A squirrel got up close and very personal with the Philadephia Phillies players during their Friday night game against the St. Louis Cardinals.
The rampaging rodent crawled along the top of the net behind home plate, cheered on by the adoring crowd at Citizens Bank Park. Once the squirrel arrived at the dugout for the Phillies players, it decided to introduce itself to the surprised players. As the captive audience cried out with a mixture of disbelief and concern, the determined squirrel fearlessly leaped from the top of the net.
In photos of the incident, you can see the startled looks on the faces of the Phillies players as the rodent lands. Several members of the team beat a hasty retreat, but there were no injuries reported as a result of the “assault.”
There was no stopping this squirrel from making a beeline for the @Phillies' dugout http://t.co/E61i34a4py pic.twitter.com/qbEhRx6C5s
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) June 20, 2015
Some onlookers suspect the furry fanatic didn’t like all the fuss and was determined to take it out on somebody. Others wonder if maybe the squirrel represents a terrible omen, as it turns out this is the second time a squirrel has interrupted a Phillies vs. Cardinals game.
The previous incident occurred during the 2011 World Series game that saw the Cardinals emerge victoriously. A squirrel ran onto the field two separate days, breaking up play and entertaining the crowd. So pleased was the team with the apparent helpful sabotage of the little squirrel that the little guy was a prominently featured part of their World Series rings the next year!
While Cardinals fans must be loving squirrels, the furry critter was a cute but haunting reminder for Phillies fans of past disappointments. This season the MLB team an abysmal 23-45 record. Fans might also be wondering if the rodents just altogether hate the Philadelphia Phillies. This particular squirrel certainly wasn’t shy about letting his sentiments be known.
The aggressive squirrels seen during Phillies vs. Cardinals matchups aren’t the only ones to invade the baseball field over the years. Perhaps the cutest squirrel ever to disrupt a baseball game was the little guy who ran across the field during the game between the Cleveland Indians and Chicago Cubs. That little guy didn’t stop at dashing onto the field; he also would do the most adorable “Army belly crawl.”
Animals like squirrels frequently interrupt sporting events and cause all sorts of mayhem and impromptu entertainment. Most sports fans view it with humor rather than superstition.
What do you think of the squirrel at the Phillies game? Have a favorite “furry pitch invader”? Share your thoughts below!
[Image Credit via Wikimedia Commons]
