Minor League game delayed for unusual reason

Baseball history has seen plenty of examples of animals getting onto the field and causing a delay in the game. But in a Minor League game on Saturday, we got an unusual delay.

For the most part, animals that get onto baseball fields fit into one of two categories. They’re either small, quick creatures (like squirrels or cats) or can fly (like bees, wasps and of course, birds). Turtles, though, don’t fit either description. Despite that, there was a brief turtle delay in Saturday’s game between the St. Lucie Mets and Bradenton Marauders, Single-A Minor League affiliates of the New York Mets and Pittsburgh Pirates.

Bradenton center fielder Sergio Campana walked toward the turtle and soon, left fielder Esmerlyn Valdez and eventually right fielder Joshua Palacios did the same. But while the three outfielders got the turtle to move (and move faster than you probably think a turtle would move), it eventually stopped again. None of the outfielders seemed to want to touch the reptile, even with their gloves, though Valdez did get it moving again.

Eventually, Magdiel Cotto came in from the bullpen. Fittingly enough, Cotto, the relief pitcher, relieved the outfielders of their turtle-shooing duties. The pitcher picked the turtle up with his bare hands and brought it into the bullpen.

And as one would expect, baseball fans had a lot to say about the turtle invasion.

This turtle is at least 3x faster than Yasmami Grandal https://t.co/gR7Uvez0RT

— Zachary Smith (@ZacharySmithPGH) May 11, 2024

[Photo/Video Credit: Bradenton Marauders on Twitter/X]