So during a Triple-A game against the Durham Bulls last Sunday, a member of the Buffalo Bisons was called out (albeit only temporarily) after swinging and missing a pitch that must have been particularly difficult to hit, seeing as how it struck a wayward seagull on its way to home plate.

After some discussion, the umpires ultimately determined it would be unfair to expect the hitter to account for the presence of airborne seabirds when deciding whether or not to swing at a given pitch and the play was called dead at the point of impact.

Fortunately, the bird was not.

And the seagull's survivial is why this incident only qualifies as the third strangest meeting of bird and baseball in my recollection.

Topping the list? That would be the case that resulted in criminal charges. During a 1983 game in Toronto, Yankees right fielder Dave Winfield was tossing a ball back to a ballboy after taking warm-ups between innings when he hit and killed a seagull. After the game, Winfield was charged with cruelty to animals, although the charge was dropped one day later.

Coming in at No. 2 ... while with the Diamondbacks, Randy Johnson had a similar experience as Sunday's Bulls pitcher, with a dove coming between a Johnson fastball and home plate. Except, it being a Randy Johnson fastball, it didn't end with the bird in question flying away unharmed. Witness the carnage for yourself.