Baseball may be a game of strategy, skill, and split-second decisions, but sometimes the most unexpected moments come courtesy of creatures that have no business being on the field at all.
Look no further than the wild snake that appeared in the dugout of the Los Angeles Dodgers during Game 2 of the National League Championship Series against the New York Mets.
The snake got us thinking, what other strange animals have found their way onto baseball diamonds and dugouts over the years?
Major League Baseball has seen its fair share of some truly wild visitors – not opposing teams, but animals that have wandered into dugouts, sprinted across the outfield, and even changed the course of a game.
Whether it’s a cat interrupting play, bugs and geese invading a playoff game, or birds resting on the grass, these animal encounters have become part of baseball folklore.
So on Tuesday, during the Dodgers workout at Citi Field in New York, we asked some of the players what were the strangest animals they’ve seen on the field or in the dugout during their careers. Their answers may surprise you.
Dodgers’ Game 1 starter Jack Flaherty was on the 2017 St. Louis Cardinals roster as a rookie, and has fond memories of the infamous “Rally Cat,” that made its way onto the field at Busch Stadium.
As the confused feline sprinted across the diamond, chaos ensued. A Cardinals groundskeeper, Lucas Hackmann, heroically captured the cat but not without paying the price, enduring scratches and bites while the crowd roared in support of the scrappy animal.
The real magic, though, came after the cat’s brief cameo. Right after play resumed, Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina launched a grand slam, sending the stadium into a frenzy and giving the Cardinals the win.
That cat wasn’t just any stray – it was quickly dubbed “Rally Cat,” a symbol of good luck. Overnight, the cat became a beloved figure in St. Louis. Though briefly lost in a nearby park after a woman attempted to claim it, the Rally Cat was found, cementing its place in Cardinals’ history.
Dodgers’ All-Star starting pitcher Tyler Glasnow recalled a possum he once encountered while sitting in the dugout with the Tampa Bay Rays.
Glasnow was acquired by the Dodgers in a trade with the Rays this offseason, and maybe it was a possum to be named later that was included in the deal because a possum showed up on the warning track at Dodger Stadium on Aug. 7 of this year.
Just a casual opossum on the field at Dodger Stadium.
“Must’ve jumped on the charter from Oakland” pic.twitter.com/8ZUO1h7llA
— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) August 7, 2024
The possum should come as no surprise to Dodgers fans as several wildlife animals have appeared on the field or in the dugout over the years. Earlier this season, a family of raccoons made the visiting dugout their home and had to be trapped and released, and who can forget the famous goose that landed on the field at Dodger Stadium during the 2022 National League Division Series against the San Diego Padres.
Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman both smiled when reminded of the incident, but also remember losing that game, and eventually the series to San Diego. Thankfully, they got revenge for that loss last Friday when they defeated the Padres in 5 games to advance to the NLCS.
Dodgers’ shortstop Tommy Edman was acquired at the trade deadline this year from the St. Louis Cardinals. Although he was not on the team in 2011, he remembers watching the Cardinals’ “Rally Squirrel” against the Philadelphia Phillies, and has seen other squirrels on the field at Busch Stadium over the years.
But animals aren’t always lucky for everyone involved. Take the swarm of bugs that descended on Yankee pitcher Joba Chamberlain in Game 2 of the 2007 ALDS in Cleveland. Ironically, where the Yankees are headed again this week for Games 3-5 of the American League Championship Series.
Back in 2007, a sudden infestation of midges rattled the young pitcher, leading to a wild pitch that allowed Cleveland to score the game-tying run. While Chamberlain struggled, Cleveland’s pitcher Fausto Carmona stayed cool and composed, leading his team to a win.
Even the New York Times couldn’t resist highlighting the real star of the game, running the headline: “In Game 2 Infestation, Bugs Claim Spotlight.”
Dodgers’ players who have played part of their collegiate, minor, or major league careers in Florida told NBC LA that all sorts of strange animals can be seen on the field and in the dugouts during games.
Iguanas and turtles were most common, but Dodgers’ center fielder Kevin Keirmaier, who played most of his professional career with the Tampa Bay Rays, said he once saw an eight-to-nine foot alligator in the dugout during a game.
Brent Honeywell, who was the one who spotted the snake in the dugout on Monday, also saw an even bigger alligator in the dugout during a minor league game in 2015.
So the visiting team today must have brought a secret weapon…Ten foot gator just chilling in the dugout #FSLonly pic.twitter.com/aAgTzYUij3
— Maxx Tissenbaum (@8_Maxx) July 24, 2015
Believe it or not an alligator might not have been the strangest animal ever seen in the dugout. Pitcher Drew Pomeranz, who signed a minor-league deal with the Dodgers earlier this season, once saw a cheetah in the dugout during a game at Target Field in Minnesota back in 2015. Albeit the Cheetah was not wild, but part part of a National Wildlife Day pregame celebration.
#thingsyoudontnormallyseeinthedugout 🐆🐆🐆 pic.twitter.com/dCyml6f8Np
— Drew Pomeranz (@DrewPomeranz) June 25, 2015
Whether it’s a jungle cat, birds, or reptiles, animals will always seemingly find their way onto the field of baseball stadiums. Over the years, pigeons, crows, geese, ducks, baby birds, seagulls, bees, cats, dogs, squirrels, raccoons, possums, insects, snakes, iguanas, alligators, rats, mice, and other critters have all been spotted on the diamond or the dugout over the years.
“A snake is still the stranges things I’ve seen,” said Glasnow when asked which animal takes the prize for the strangest one ever seen in a dugout. “I’ve never seen that before.”
There’s a snake in my dugout! 🐍 #NLCS pic.twitter.com/9Qcko2lSAu
— MLB (@MLB) October 14, 2024
From cats and squirrels to birds and bugs, it’s clear that Major League Baseball fields are as much of a playground for animals as they are for athletes.
These creatures, whether intentional or not, leave a mark on the game, creating unforgettable moments that fans talk about for years.
For the players and teams, these unexpected visitors bring a little extra unpredictability to a game that’s already full of surprises. And for the fans, well, it’s all part of the magic of baseball. After all, you never know what’s going to happen when a rally animal decides it’s their time to shine.
