“I don’t believe what I just saw” is one of the most famous quotes in Dodgers history. That could have been the call when a greater white-fronted goose put on an airshow during Game 2 of the NLDS Wednesday night between the Padres and Dodgers at Dodger Stadium.
The goose made a grand entrance in the bottom of the eighth inning as Nick Martinez was on the mound for the Padres and the Dodgers’ Gavin Lux was at the plate. The unexpected flight onto the field took the same path as the Navy Leapfrogs parachute team before games. Its 5-foot wingspan was spread out as it coasted past the left-field video board headed toward the right-field foul pole. It made a bumpy landing in shallow right field behind Padres second baseman Jake Cronenworth and in front of right fielder Juan Soto. The crowd erupted as if someone had hit a home run.
The goose likely became separated from its flock near the stadium late in the game. Travis Longcore, President of the Los Angeles Audubon Society, said this bird species migrates from Alaska to Mexico this time of year. “Bright lights can disorient them and they become distressed. The animal bounced during its landing because they normally land in water.”
It sat proudly with its long neck up high, then ducked its head as the crowd got louder. To the dismay of many, the game continued, with the goose parked in shallow right as if it was part of an infield shift. Security saw it and hesitated to go on the field and the grounds crew waited in the dugout for clearance to retrieve it. Martinez then delivered a ball to Lux. The goose remained unfazed. The next pitch was singled to right field, where the fowl watched the fair ball fly by.
“I was on the mound and I heard the crowd roar and I thought we had a streaker. So I turn around and I see a goose sitting there,” Martinez said at practice Thursday. “Thought that goose just wanted to catch a game.”
Major League Baseball instructs umpires that if a batted or thrown ball strikes a bird or animal on the playing field the ball is considered live and in play. If the bird had stayed for an extended period of time, play could have been stopped.
While the goose stayed put, Padres manager Bob Melvin called for a pitching change, giving the grounds crew a chance to engage the goose. As a member approached, it took off toward right field, made a sweeping, 180-degree turn and headed straight for the Dodgers dugout along the third base line. As the crowd roared it approached the foul ball protective netting and made another banking, 180-degree turn landing near the Dodgers on-deck circle, where Cody Bellinger was taking swings.
A groundskeeper approached with a trash can. Once again it took flight, and landed on the infield grass near third base as the fans roared. The adventure came to an end when a crew member gathered it in a towel, placed it in a large trash can, and exited the field through the Dodgers dugout. The boos rained down louder than those meant for Manny Machado.
“Wrapping the bird in a towel to protect its wings was the right thing to do,” added Longcore.
The Dodgers reported that the bird was released and flew away.
“We’ve seen some squirrels, some cats, an occasional dove, but never a goose,” Martinez added.
