OAKLAND, Calif. — The D-backs dropped their second-straight game in Oakland Thursday night but it wasn't Arizona that got the worst of it. It was a stuffed bear.
With no fans in the stands, MLB ballparks have been putting cardboard cutouts in the stands to fill the void and some, like the Oakland Athletics, have even put stuffed animals into seats.
When D-backs second baseman Ketel Marte stepped up to the plate in the 8th inning, it would lead to nightmares for one stuffed teddy bear sitting in the seats.
Cue the video:
You can hear analyst and former A's pitcher Dallas Braden pull out the bear puns immediately. We could hardly bear to watch ourselves as they showed the slow motion replay.
But, all is well. The Oakland Athletics addressed the teddy bear's injury on Twitter Friday saying, the bear has passed the ever-complicated concussion protocol and will be ready for Friday night's game.
The D-backs have also put stuffed animals in one section at their stadium, Chase Field, to represent the Phoenix Children's Hospital.
For each home run a D-backs player hits into the section, the team and Chase will donate $1,000 to the Play Ball Fund, focused on relief efforts for the pandemic.
The D-backs kick off a weekend series with the San Francisco Giants in San Francisco Friday night and will hope to bounce back after dropping two straight.
