Top 5 strangest interruptions leading to MLB game delays

There have been plenty of weather-related delays in MLB history, but there have also been some rather strange ones. Pretty much anything can interrupt play, and over the years, anything has. From bees to bubbles, here are the strangest occurrences that caused MLB games to have to take a brief pause.

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Top 5 Strangest delays in MLB history

5) Bees

In 2024, the Los Angeles Dodgers and Arizona Diamondbacks had to delay the start of their game because of bees.

A massive swarm had descended on the net behind home plate just five minutes before the first pitch. A beekeeper had to come get them before the game could commence.

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4) Balloon

Bryan De La Cruz had to help when a balloon fell into the field

The Miami Marlins and New York Mets were playing a game just a few years ago when a fan dropped a large red balloon onto the warning track.

In the bottom of the fifth inning, play stopped so Bryan De La Cruz could go out to the wall and return the balloon to its rightful owners.

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3) Fireworks

In a game between the Colorado Rockies and Milwaukee Brewers in 2015, the fireworks went off way early. They're usually reserved for the end of the game when the home team wins.

However, in this instance, they went off in the first inning after just two pitches. It was a scoreless game, and the batter had to call time at the last second as the blasts began.

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2) Bubble

In 2023, the Los Angeles Dodgers had to pause their game with the Detroit Tigers because of a bubble. One massive bubble flew over the field from the stands.

No one could tell at first what it was, leading to players and umpires pausing for concern. Outfielder James Outman identified that it was a bubble after it had popped and play was allowed to resume uninterrupted from there.

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1) Cat

Wildlife has crept onto baseball fields before, but rarely in the form of a cat. The New York Yankees were playing the Baltimore Orioles in 2022.

Aaron Judge was at bat, taking pitches as the cat ran along the dugout lines. Play had to be stopped as the cat tore off into the outfield. It took almost four minutes for crew members to get the frightened cat to resume play.