Hero dad who saved son from flying bat: ‘I did anything I could’
Shaun Cunningham did what any father would try to do. He saw a baseball bat flying toward the face of his 9-year-old son Landon, who was looking down at a cell phone. So Shaun reached over and deflected the bat, seemingly avoiding a gruesome scene.
[2016 Yahoo Fantasy Baseball is open for business. Sign up now]
This happened Saturday in Bradenton, Fla., where the Pittsburgh Pirates were playing the Atlanta Braves in a spring training game. The photo of Cunningham’s save, as captured by Pittsburgh Tribune-Review photographer Christopher Horner, went viral in the days that ensued.
Reaction was split. One perspective said, “Wow, what quick thinking by the father to save his son.” The other: “The kid should have been paying better attention.” Now we’re learning more about the father and son at the center of the debate, as Shaun and Landon made an appearance Tuesday on The Today Show.
“I didn’t have a lot of time to think,” Shaun Cunningham told The Today Show crew. “Once I realized it was headed for my son, I just did anything I could to block it and deflect it.”
As for Landon, he explained why he was looking at the phone. It was his first baseball game — a present for his birthday. He had snapped a photo and wanted to send it to his mom.
[MLB season preview: Are the Braves tanking or just rebuilding?]
For the posturing, lecturing and sideline parenting this story has inspired online, at least there’s a happy ending. Landon is fine. His dad is fine. They’re getting a brief bit of fame out of it, sure, and some people will tsk-tsk that. But listening to Landon talk about his experience, it’s hard to be too upset.
The Today Show arranged for his favorite player, Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman, to send Landon an autographed jersey and he was overjoyed when he found out. Despite what was a rather scary incident, Landon’s memory of his first MLB game will be something different.
“My first baseball game was amazing,” he said.
Given the alternative, that’s great to hear.
More MLB coverage from Yahoo Sports:
– – – – – – –
Mike Oz is the editor of Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @MikeOz
