May 25, 1919 – There are hidden talents to many of the athletes we celebrate that go beyond what they do while playing their particular sport. Former right-fielder of the Pittsburgh Pirates, Casey Stengel caught the attention of not only those in attendance at the game at Ebbett’s Field in Brooklyn where the Pirates were the battling Stengel’s former club the Dodgers but the national media was dazzled too.
When this mighty Casey came up to bat in the seventh inning, the Brooklyn crowd cheered their former star. Stengel then stepped up near the plate and tipped his hat to the fans and as he did he released a sparrow from under his baseball cap that flew agitated into the New York sky. Apparently, the right fielder had caught the bird while out in the field during the bottom of the sixth.
To find more great daily sports history make sure to check out the Sports Jersey Dispatch and Pigskin Dispatch.
More From Sports History Network
The Minnesota Vikings in the 1970s: A Trip Down Memory Lane
The Vikings began the 1970 season by getting a small measure of revenge for
The Los Angeles Rams in the 1970s: A Trip Down Memory Lane
The 1970 Rams were 8–3–1 going into week thirteen, but they needed to win
The Washington Redskins in the 1970s: A Trip Down Memory Lane
Right around this time last year, I wrote an article on the top eight
NFL’s Youngest Ever Player Might Surprise You!
From a personal standpoint, I truly love the game of football…and to write about
The History of the Preakness Stakes: Where It All Began
This May 17, 2025, the Preakness Stakes will draw horse racing fans worldwide for
How Ohio Shaped The NFL: From The Birthplace To Rich Pro Football History
While today the great state of Ohio’s professional football teams are seen as something
NBA Player Heated Rivalries: Kevin Garnett vs. Tim Duncan
Some heated rivalries between players can simply be a case of bad blood that
Looking Back at the First Great Play of the 1970s: Tom Dempsey’s Epic Field Goal
The decade of the 1970s had numerous great plays in the NFL. Now this