The Loop

Rogue fowl leads Detroit Tigers ground crew on literal wild goose chase

Everybody loves happy ending, which is precisely why last year's infamous St. Louis Rally Cat incident went from hilarious to viral moment to national outrage (a not uncommon trajectory, admittedly) when it became clear that nobody was sure what had happened to the terrified little kitten after it was eventually—after much clawing and ball boy bloodshed—removed from the Busch Stadium field. "How could you be so careless with an innocent kitten, you irredeemable monsters?" bellowed legions of American cat lovers, who were equally unimpressed with the Cardinals' official statement saying they had given the kitten to a random fan who then promptly lost it in the nearby City Garden. Needless to say, what should have been a triumphant moment for American baseball, became a sad, cautionary table about America's stray pet problem.

Thankfully, the Detroit Tigers learned from that from that very fiasco. Last night, during the 6th inning of the Tigers' 6-1 win over the Ohtani-led Los Angeles Angels, a rogue Canadian goose made its way onto the field, leading grounds crew on a very literal goose chase to the delight of everyone in attendance:

Much like Rally Cat, however, the good, clean fun soon took an ominous turn when the spooked goose took off and flew directly into the LED advertising boards, plummeting 20 feet into the stands below, where it landed in a plume of feathers. Most in Comerica Park expected the worst, but thankfully a nearby fan with experience in goose handling (remember, this is Detroit) was soon on the scene to calm the scared animal. After the goose was removed from the stadium, the Tigers offered an immediate update, reassuring fans that the goose—after x-rays and a period of observation—was indeed cleared for takeoff and released back into the wild:

This story is dedicated to the memory of Rally Cat, wherever you may roam.