A Yankees Cat and a Praying Mantis on a Hat

Austin Cannon
·2 min read
Yankee Stadium grounds crew members try to catch a cat that entered the field in the eighth inning of a baseball game between the New York Yankees and the Baltimore Orioles, in New York
Yankee Stadium grounds crew members try to catch a cat that entered the field in the eighth inning of a baseball game between the New York Yankees and the Baltimore Orioles, in New York
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Mary Altaffer / AP / Shutterstock

I love baseball as much as almost anyone, but I have to admit: It can be a little slow and boring sometimes. That's why it's a welcome sight when animals—in these cases a cat at New York's Yankee Stadium and a praying mantis on the head of a Washington Nationals player—join in on the fun.

We begin in New York on Monday night where the Yankees were hosting the Baltimore Orioles, who led the home club 7-1 in the bottom of the eighth inning. (Basically, the game was over.) That's when a striped cat, a youngin, appears on the warning track near the Orioles' dugout.

After Yankees slugger Aaron Judge fouls a pitch off, the cat gets spooked and runs out into left field as the crowd roars. "This could be a while," commentator Michael Kay says.

Our feline friend has arrived at the left-field warning track and has paused. As the crowd chants "M-V-P, M-V-P"—again, can't emphasize enough how boring baseball can be—the cat jumps onto a ledge in the outfield wall, walks along it for a bit, and then hops back down to the ground. Now things get fun.

A collection of Yankees staff go out to try and capture the cat. Four of them surround the feline, but the cat simply sprints away to even more cheers. As a "Let's go cat!" chant starts, the cat twice more dusts the would-be captors to the delight of the crowd and some of the players in the dugout. (Maybe read our guide on catching lost pets, fellas.)

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Eventually, the cat runs through an open door into a seating area, but you should enjoy the video for yourself below. It should make the next version of Super Duper Baseball Bloopers.

Things are much more zen in Washington, D.C., where a praying mantis decided to go for a ride on the cap of Nationals center fielder Victor Robles. The saga began in the dugout and the insect accompanied Robles out into center for the ninth inning—where Robles made sure his new buddy knew how many outs there were.

It might seem weird, but you never want to shoo away a rally mantis. They can help you start a winning streak and eventually get your team back in the playoff race. Oh, I've just been informed the Nats blew a ninth-inning lead and lost to the Phillies after the mantis showed up. Never mind.