Sports History On This Day: May 25

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.