Squirrel on the loose at Comerica makes entire grounds crew go nuts

Fans at Comerica Park on Monday night came for a baseball game, but they stayed for a wild squirrel chase that was, in a word, simply nutty. Just ask Orioles outfielder Leody Taveras, who got to see the creature more up close and personal than anyone.

It's not exactly uncommon for a black squirrel to appear at the Tigers’ home park. One made a ruckus last season when it scurried past the field-level bullpen and gave a Detroit reliever quite the fright. But this most recent bushy-tailed critter wanted to be a part of the action, and it would not be deterred.

For about a full inning, the squirrel made its odyssey around the park, starting on the warning track where it refused to be corralled through an open fence. Instead, it scampered into short left field, then checked out the foul lines before posting up for a time next to Baltimore third-base coach Buck Britton, who tossed a couple seeds in its direction. The squirrel even encountered a bird along the way, though it only expressed mild curiosity about the feathered friend before moving along again.

The adventure reached another level during the seventh-inning stretch. That’s when the entire grounds crew came pouring onto the field with one very clear objective, and it had nothing to do with any tarp. They chased the squirrel into the right-field corner, where at one point, it ended up jumping into the glove of Taveras.

To make it clear, Taveras was not trying to corral the squirrel. He was as surprised as everybody else when it landed in his leather. So, he tried to lift it out, but it ended up getting away from everybody again as it leaped toward the dirt once more.

“I just was trying to stop it. When it got into my glove, I don’t want to squeeze it, so I was just trying to bring it up. I wasn’t trying to do that. But they got it out,” Taveras said. “I hope it’s good.”

The chase continued along the warning track, where the fleet-footed creature showed off moves that will have the Detroit Lions' running-backs room reviewing the tape. Finally, one brave member of the grounds crew wrapped the squirrel in a towel and escorted it safely off the field.

All the while, Tigers play-by-play announcer Jason Benetti was chronicling the journey with gusto.

"We're six innings deep, it's 8-5, this game has been a zoo," he quipped.

The squirrel chase was the first thing mentioned by Orioles manager Craig Albernaz when he walked out of the visiting clubhouse for his postgame media session.

“The whole squirrel thing was nuts,” Albernaz said. “I mean, at one point, I thought he was going to go into the batter’s box, see what was going on. He had a great view of the game. I think Bill Miller, the home-plate umpire, really stole the show with getting everyone out there, and then I had no idea Leody tried to glove-flip it or catch it in right field. I didn’t see that video until after the game. Nice job, Leody.”

After the pursuit came to an end, Miller gave a shout to the grounds crew.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I'd like to thank the grounds crew. Let's give them a round of applause. The Detroit Tigers grounds crew, thank you."

And Tigers mascot PAWS was caught in the stands holding up a makeshift sign.

"Free the squirrel," it read.

That's pretty much what everyone watching from home and in the stands was feeling, in a nutshell. And it’s also all pretty much everybody was talking about inside the visiting clubhouse after the game, as nearly every Baltimore player was reliving the events.

Outfielder Colton Cowser even made sure to point at one of the TVs hanging on the wall when the highlights were being shown so everybody could laugh about it once more.

“I thought it was crazy,” third baseman Coby Mayo said. “He was fast, got his exercise in today. I’d love to know his step count for the day. It was funny. I think everyone got a good laugh out of it, and the fans were even booing getting him off the field. I mean, I wanted him, personally, to stay on the field. It makes the game more interesting.”