In case you missed it, a cat ran on the field Wednesday night at Busch Stadium, briefly delaying the St. Louis Cardinals’ game against the Kansas City Royals. A grounds crew member needed to track down the adorable feline and carry it off the field, all while being the recipient of a few bites and scratches.
As fate would have it, the cat ended up being a good luck charm for St. Louis, as Yadier Molina launched a go-ahead grand slam in the sixth inning on the first pitch thrown following the delay. The Cardinals won the game, 8-5, moving them to with 1 1/2 games of the first-place Chicago Cubs in the National League Central.
The magic of the “rally cat” might not last long, though, as the cat since has gone missing, according to the Cardinals.
“We are hopeful someone will find the cat and contact us so we can properly care for it,” the team said in a statement, per ESPN.com. “Our grounds crew is working on developing a stray animal protocol to ensure the safety of both crew and animal should this happen again.
“In the meantime, the Cardinals are looking to scratch and claw their way back to the top of the division standings.”
Lucas Hackmann, the grounds crew member who retrieved the kitten near the center field wall, said Thursday on ESPN’s “SportsCenter” that he brought the cat up the main concourse and put it down outside the stadium as his hand was covered in blood. Ushers tried to contain the cat, but a fan grabbed it, claimed it was hers and abruptly left.
The fan, Korie Harris, told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that the cat, which she named “Yadi,” jumped out of her arms in a St. Louis park while she was walking home. She never saw the cat again.
“I’m not a cat person, but I sure liked that one,” Cardinals manager Mike Matheny told reporters after Wednesday’s game.
Here’s to hoping Yadi is somewhere safe.
