Sixteen years ago, in an otherwise unremarkable spring training game, Randy Johnson sent a dove to the great seed bell in the sky. It was one of the first viral pre-YouTube videos, something you would spend an hour downloading over a 56k modem:
Randy Johnson vaporizing a bird, as explained by bird nerds
We’ve seen the video. Now read what ornithologists think about it.
So horrible. So fantastic. So unlikely.
In honor of the occasion, the good folks at Newsweek hit up some ornithologists to talk about Johnson’s fastball and the ex-dove. These ornithologists aren’t quite as entertained.
Do you feel bad for the bird?
Streby: A little. At least it went quickly. I feel worse thinking it was probably a breeding bird that time of year, with a nest of eggs or hungry nestlings somewhere nearby.
Aw, man.
Do you feel bad for the bird?
Michael Wunder, associate professor at the University of Colorado, Denver: I didn’t feel bad for the bird. I’m an ornithologist who studies population demographics, which just means I am interested to know when where and how birds die.
Oh.
It’s the 16th anniversary of Calvin Murray’s at-bat being interrupted by a very rude, very dead bird! React accordingly.
