A Florida man went into full-fledged “Dad-mode” on Saturday to save his 8-year-old son from being hit in the face by an errant bat.
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Despite the close call, Landon, who plays baseball, said he had fun at the game.
“My first baseball game was incredible, ” Landon said.
Cunningham held his arm over his son’s face, so the bat only grazed the child’s shoulder.
Christopher Horner, a photographer for The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, took the photo that has ricocheted around the Internet.
Just before the bat came hurtling towards him, Landon had taken a photo with his phone and was sending it to his mother.
Ortiz missed, his bat slipped out of his hand and flew in the direction of Landon. It left Cunningham with a bruised arm.
“I was just protecting my son”, Cunningham told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Sadly, he wasn’t able to sign the bat for the boy, because the Cunningham family had to leave during the seventh inning.
The netting at Champion Stadium did not extend to where the Cunninghams were sitting, a few rows up from the Braves’ dugout on the first-base side, but Horner described it as typical for a ballpark.
“Before I knew it, my phone was getting hot”, he said.
Cunningham, 37, a captain and 14-year firefighter/paramedic with Marion County Fire Rescue, told the Star-Banner that, after taking pictures, his son was reviewing the photographs.
“I looked up because my dad said something, but I didn’t look up in time and he put out his wrist to block it, ” Landon told TODAY.
If the Pirates will allow it, Cunningham said, they would love to meet Ortiz. I want him to not worry about it. This kid’s fine.
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“As long as I’m going to be with my dad I’m OK”, said the boy, who is an outfield and has been playing baseball since he was 5.
