(Image: STLtoday.com)
BY BRAD GALBREATH
ANCHOR LAUREN GORES
Stars of the Cards-Phillies series include - Albert Pujols, Cliff Lee, a squirrel, Ryan Howard. Wait…a squirrel!?
Yes, a squirrel has gained national attention after running on the field on Tuesday. ESPN gets us acquainted with the squirrel.
“Go back to Tuesday of this series, we had a squirrel sighting at the new Busch Stadium.”
Just one time – total fluke right? How about an encore appearance – the very next night.
“America saw him again, crossing the plate there, with Roy Oswalt pitching to Skiup Schumaker. One more look here. This is weird. It’s really weird, but everyone has such great focus in the Major Leagues, no one sees this until it’s too late.”
And now, local TV stations across the country are talking about the squirrel. Here’s KMSP in Minneapolis.
“Look at that. I’m running through here boys. I don’t care what you do. He did get the batter to fly out. St. Louis still managed to win the game, squirrel and all.”
It appeared as though Oswalt threw a strike and the ump was so distracted by the squirrel he called it a ball. This - plus two Cardinal comebacks - are what prompted Atlanta’s WAGA to give the squirrel a new nickname.
“Oswalt wanted the umps call of a ball overturned. Denied. And the Cards beat the Phillies to force a game 5 in the NLDS. The Rally Squirrel causing such a buzz it now has a Twitter.”
So it has name. And a Twitter following of over 10,000. KMOX in St. Louis seems to think the Cardinals have a new mascot.
“Move over Redbird, there’s a new mascot in town. Rally Squirrel!”
It all prompted ESPN to go through the most famous times animals have interfered with sports.
“How about this Kangaroo. Somehow he gets out of the track and gets to safety. This is a lot of Buffalo coming around the left side. This is a senior event in Colorado Springs. The Senior Open in fact. Foxes eating other animals right there on the golf course.”
