A drone interrupts the Cubs-Athletics game, creating a moment of unexpected drama at Sutter Health Park during the home opener on Monday night. Veteran Athletics bat boy Stewart Thalblum quickly took action to address the situation.
As the drone hovered near the left-field wall, it attempted to lift Thalblum off the ground. Demonstrating quick thinking, he grabbed a bat and skillfully brought the device down, all while park security stood by with a towel, prepared for any mishaps.
After successfully subduing the drone, Thalblum handed it over to a security guard for further handling.
The incident occurred during the seventh inning as Seth Brown was at bat for the Athletics in a game that saw the Chicago Cubs dominate with an 18-3 scoreline. The unexpected delay lasted a few minutes, diverting attention from the action on the field.
Thalblum, a 22-year-old who has served as a bat boy for six seasons, expressed his concern about safety. “I didn’t want to cut my fingers off. I often see stories about people getting hurt when drones are hovering, and I didn’t want that to happen to me,” he explained. He described how he tried to catch the drone by its bottom and then began to strike its spinning wings with the bat to prevent it from escaping.
Notably, Thalblum is the son of Mikey Thalblum, the longtime clubhouse manager for the Athletics, adding a personal connection to the event.
Cubs manager Craig Counsell commented on the unusual occurrence. When some of his players noticed the drone, he promptly informed plate umpire Adrian Johnson, who had been unaware of the situation. “I guess that’s the world we’re in right now,” Counsell remarked, noting the absurdity of the moment.
Thalblum had spotted the drone during the previous at-bat, making it a first for him. Once play was halted, he took the initiative to act. “Everyone was just looking at it, and I had never seen anything like that happen before,” he recalled. “I asked around, but no one from security seemed to be addressing it, so I figured it was up to me.”
Once again, Mikey Thalblum had reason to be proud of his son’s quick thinking and courage in a moment that blended the excitement of baseball with the unexpected challenges of modern technology.
