MLB Twitter has a field day after famous Rally Squirrel's comeback during Cardinals game: "So that’s why Jeff McNeil isn’t getting the start today"

The Rally Squirrel made a comeback at the St. Louis Cardinals vs. Detroit Tigers game on Saturday at Busch Stadium, after being on a five-year hiatus. Although the Cardinals lost the game to the Tigers, 6-5, the squirrel stole the show during the seventh inning when the score was tied.

At the end of the seventh inning, when there was a tie between the Cardinals and the Tigers the squirrel decided to intervene. The match had to be temporarily halted to make way for the little friend.

Detroit Tiger's pitcher Will Vest was just about to throw his next pitch to the Cardinals' outfielder Lars Nootbar, when the Rally Squirrel was seen sprinting and stopping behind the mound. The furry friend briefly paused and posed for the cameras before sprinting up the right-field line and to the tarp near the stands.

The crowd hooted and roared at the Rally Squirrel while Nootbar asked for a timeout. Everyone on and off-field wanted to make sure that the squirrel got off the way before the match proceeded.

MLB's official Twitter page posted the video of the squirrel's appearance during the match:

MLB fans had a field day discussing about the furry friend's intervention during the match.

Some fans made references to New York Mets' Jeff McNeil who is nicknamed the Flying Squirrel. It was a name that was given to him by one of his college teammates after he made some diving catches in the outfield. The name didn't stay to college as Jeff McNeil's rookie roommate found it out and he still goes by the nickname ever since.

Coincidentally, the last appearance that the Rally Squirrel made was also during a Cardinals and Tigers game at Comerica Park in late 2018.

Who is the famous Cardinals' Rally Squirrel?

The Rally Squirrel is an American gray squirrel which was named so when it first made an appearance on field and ran across the home plate at Busch Stadium during a 2011 National League Division Series MLB game between the Philadelphia Philles and the St. Louis Cardinals on October 5, 2011. Since then the Rally Squirrel has become St. Louis' unoffical mascot.

About the author

Dipasree is a journalist covering Major League Baseball at Sportskeeda. With an education background in English Literature and Journalism, she has been working in sports media for almost two years.

A Shohei Ohtani fan, she feels fortunate to be witnessing one of the sport's best in his prime and she admires him for the way he carries himself on and off the field.

Her strength in reporting lies in her attention to detail, strong writing skills, thorough fact-checking and her ability to condense information without missing out on any major detail.

Dipasree is also an avid reader and a passionate photographer, and when she isn't working, she can be found with either a book or a camera in her hand.

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