ATLANTA — A small cat scurried through the rafters at Truist Park before the Atlanta Braves tried to clinch their fourth straight NL East title against the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday night.
The gray-and-white cat was discovered darting along a beam in the upper deck more than hour before the first pitch, setting off a frantic attempt by stadium workers to corral the feline before most fans arrived at the ballpark.
A handful of early arrivers watched the effort, which involved at least a half-dozen workers, a couple of ladders, a big net and a thickly padded glove.
“Awww, it’s a kitten,” one fan said.
Clearly frightened, the animal wailed while bolting back and forth on the beam, managing to avoid capture for several minutes.
Finally, a worker was able to poke the cat off the beam, sending it harmlessly into the net. A glove-wearing worker carried it away, presumably to be turned over to animal control – and, hopefully, to a new home.
The Truist Park cat was only the latest to find its way into a sports venue.
Less than three weeks ago, a cat somehow got into Hard Rock Stadium during Miami’s college football game against Appalachian State.
The animal caught one of its paws on the facade of the upper deck, leaving it dangling above the lower level.
It finally fell into an American flag that fans spread out as a makeshift net, allowing it to be captured and carried away to safety.
Of course, longtime Chicago Cubs fans still talk about the black cat that wandered onto the field at Shea Stadium during a crucial 1969 game against the New York Mets.
The feline walked around Ron Santo in the on-deck circle and paraded in front of the Cubs’ dugout before disappearing under the stands. Seemingly cursed, Chicago squandered its lead in the NL East and the “Amazin’ Mets” went on to capture the World Series.