A Father Protected His Son When A Baseball Bat Went Flying Into Stands

Sep 16, 2019 by apost team

When you are a child, you like to think your parents are invulnerable superheroes that have all the strength and power in the world. This is just how Landon Cunningham saw his dad especially after he protected him from a flying bat in a baseball game when he saw his first game.

Landon was already aware his dad was his hero. Landon’s dad, Shaun Cunningham, is a paramedic. He was used to tending to emergencies and accidents. This game took things to a whole other level.

Just before Landon’t ninth birthday, his father wanted to give him a special experience. They got a few tickets for a spring training game in Orlando, Florida. It was between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Atlanta Braves. Landon was so excited to be there and see all the Major League players close up.

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Landon wanted his mom to see some sights of the game. He asked his dad if he could take some pictures on his phone to send to his mom.

Just then, Danny Ortiz, the Pittsburgh outfielder, came to bat. He swung the bat and lost control. The bat went flying into the stands. It is estimated that a bat speed can be anywhere from 65 to 85 miles per hour according to Blast Motion. The bat was going about as fast as a car on the highway.

Christopher Horner, a sports photographer, just happen to be in the perfect position to get the scene on camera. It was headed for little Landon, who was busy sending a message to his mom. He didn’t know what was coming.

Thankfully, his dad was more prepared than he was. Shaun stated to Inside Edition, “It initially looked like it was going over our head and at the last second I realized it was headed right toward him.” His arm reached right in front of Landon’s face and made the perfect block.

Landon’s mom Ashley later saw the pictures and was horrified and scared. She was extremely grateful her husband had the reflexes he did. Shaun was modest about the whole situation. He simply stated that he was only protecting his son he told the Tribune-Review. He didn’t even have time to think about what he was doing. Thankfully no one was injured in this situation and Landon continues his love for baseball.

What do you think about Shaun's quick-thinking actions? Have you ever been in a close call like this? Tell us about it and tell your friends and family about Shaun's bravery.