Another reminder of the challenges and danger of adding live animals to the show from Seattle.

BALD EAGLE ATTACK 😂

Outstanding reaction from the @Mariners' James Paxton, though. Just stay calm. (via @fsnorth) pic.twitter.com/pWer9G1L5L

— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) April 5, 2018

First of all…I want James Paxton on my side in any stressful situation.  Ice water runs through his veins.

I’m reminded of reading a book on Al Schact who used animals in his show often.  He liked the unpredictability and that it usually added to even more comedy than he intended.

Or when the Atlanta Hawks real bird mascot “Spirit” decided to go off-script a couple years ago.

If you want more on Al Schact you can read his book Clowning Through Baseball or also see our interview with Agent Jon Terry who looked at the rich history of baseball touring acts.

Al Schact
Although he compiled a 14–10 won/loss mark (with a 4.48 earned run average) in his three-year MLB pitching career and was highly regarded as a third-base coach, Schacht’s ability to mimic other players from the coaching lines, and his comedy routines with fellow Washington coach Nick Altrock, earned him the nickname of “The Clown Prince of Baseball”. Ironically, at the height of their collaboration, Schacht and Altrock developed a deep personal animosity and stopped speaking to each other off the field. During their famous comic re-enactments of the Dempsey–Tunney championship boxing match, many speculated that they pulled no punches as they rained blows on each other.