The Most Unforgettable Spring Training Bloopers

One of the best times of the year is the start of spring training, and that time is upon us at last.

In mere days, we will be able to flip to a game and see the elegant symmetrical diamond, hear the crack of a bat and the snap of the catcher’s glove. Spring training is irrefutably one of the most exciting times of the year. It also has proven to be one of the most hilarious. There have been plenty of stand-out incidents throughout preseasons past that force you to chuckle inside whenever you think of them, and I’ve managed to gather the most knee-slapping spring training bloopers that come to mind.

Who Turned On The Sprinklers?

Picture this: you’re in the depths of a game, there are two outs and you are locked in. Then out of nowhere, your jersey gets soaked, and there is a second of disorientation as you try to find where this water is coming from — only to realize you just got drenched by some sprinklers on television.

That’s what happened in this Cleveland Indians vs. Cincinnati Reds spring training game back in 2017. RHP David Hernandez was on the mound as four sprinklers rose in an attempt to ambush the pitcher with some soakage. It truly makes you wonder if one of the ground’s crew members watched the game and thought it was best for the reliever to cool down a bit.

To The Warning Track, To The Wall, That Car Is Outta Here!

In a 2018 spring training matchup between the Houston Astros and the St. Louis Cardinals, a car decided to make the seventh inning stretch, stretch a bit longer.

An advertisement car seemed to struggle to exit the field. It drove across the entire warning track to the opposite exit to finally get off the grass and back on the asphalt. Normally I would expect people to be surprised by this, but after living through 2020 I am certain that surprises are now few and far between.

A Little Bird Meets The Big Unit

Five-time Cy Young award winner, 2001 World Series MVP, pitching Triple Crown winner and Hall of Famer — the list goes on and on when speaking about SP Randy “The Big Unit” Johnson.

Accolades aside, most people are unaware that, in a preseason game in 2001, The Big Unit speared a dove with a pitch as the bird was flying across the fire line. It was accidental, but I would’ve forfeited my at-bat out of pure fear for the heartless flamethrower. You can even hear the crowd’s reaction, and how taken aback they were. If there is a lesson to be gleaned from this situation, don’t mess with The Big Unit or his menacing mustache.

Kyle Kendrick Gets Traded To Japan?

In what might’ve been the biggest prank in sports history, the Philadelphia Phillies kicked off their spring training in 2008 by getting the entire organization to pull a fast one on one of their starting pitchers.

RHP Kyle Kendrick was coming into his second season in the bigs and was looking to help contribute to a Phillies team that would win the World Series that season. Then-manager Charlie Manual called Kendrick into his office immediately and sat him down with then-general manager Rubén Amaro Jr. They both told him that he was traded to a Japanese team, the Yomiuri Giants. They even made him sign a fake paper to make the trade “official.”

Manual, along with the entire clubhouse, acted surprised that he was traded and all of his teammates thought it was crazy that he was going to a team in Japan. RHP Brett Myers in particular would fit in perfectly with the Keeping Up With The Kardashians gang with his acting performance here.

There was even a media session on the trade. Amaro Jr. told the media that Kendrick was traded for Kobayashi Iwamura, a player that didn’t even exist. According to The Denver Post, media members asked for Kendrick’s feelings on the trade.

“Do they have good food in Japan?” Kendrick asked.

Myers would finally put the prank to rest, interrupting Kendrick during the interview to inform him that he has been “punked,” per The Denver Post. The entire clubhouse burst into laughter – the media, players, coaches, the GM — everyone could finally let it all out.

I don’t know if we will ever again see something so funny where the whole organization goes out of their way to prank one guy. Whether it’s during spring training or the regular season, this is the funniest blooper of all time.

Cover photo courtesy of Ron Vesely/MLB via Getty Images