When Pedro Cerrano wanted to sacrifice a live chicken in Major League, his teammates wanted to respect his superstitious rituals without having to see him actually kill the chicken. The solution? Fried chicken from KFC. Members of the Benbrook, Texas, community are now wishing that two baseball players from the local high school did the same thing.
The Star-Telegram reports that two high school baseball players from Western Hills High School in Benbrook killed two baby chicks as a superstitious ritual to improve their play.
The police said that the 15- and 16-year-old players "engaged in acts that caused the death of two baby chickens. It appears that superstition relating to a slump in baseball performance could have played a part."
Both players have been kicked off the baseball team for the rest of the season and have been punished by the district, according to school officials.
An animal cruelty charge for the students would be a state jail felony which could punish them anywhere from 180 days to two years in jail and could also include a fine not exceeding $10,000, Benbrook Police Sgt. John Van Ness reported.
On March 17, a baby chick was found decapitated behind the school's baseball fields and then another one was killed the same way the following day, said Van Ness.
District spokesman Clint Bond said that there was a previous incident involving animal cruelty where five students in the Fort Worth school district were disciplined because "baby chicks and live fish were thrown during a pep rally." He said the incidents were unrelated.
Animal rights groups, such as People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), have been reaching out to the school to help with animal education issues since the incident was reported.
