On March 24, 2001, Randy Johnson threw a pitch that would end a life — and change the life of one flock forever. A son, Daryl Dove, was tragically taken in a freak accident that would shock the baseball community, and become irrevocably linked to Johnson.
After many years of silence on the matter, the Dove family has agreed to speak about that day. They want to remember a son they lost, and share their memories of Daryl with the world. This is their story.
(This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.)
Janice Dove, mother of the deceased: "We all remember that day. It will haunt us forever."
Garth Dove, father of the deceased: "Well we were enjoying a nice day at the ballpark. We would often fly down there and perch on something, you know, hang out watch the action. This is back when it was Tuscon Electric Park."
Henry Dove, brother of the deceased: "I was only a chick at the time. Daryl was the oldest. I always wanted to hang out, fly along, but he was bigger than me."
Janice: "Daryl was so handsome, and at that age where he was always showing off, especially if there were girls around. I'm sure that didn't help. But it shouldn't have gotten him killed."
MORE: 15 things we miss most about baseball, ranked
Garth: "We've nested in Arizona for years, and every year when the Cactus League games start, I drilled it into their little bird brains: 'Don't be an idiot. The humans are bigger than you and their little ones will chase you. They are not your friends.'"
Janice: "We find it better to keep to ourselves, up away from the humans. After all, there's always enough empty seats in the stands to swoop down and grab some popcorn as a snack, or even half an abandoned hotdog bun. I don't even pack seeds and berries when we go, because there's plenty to scavenge for. I know it isn't the healthiest snack, but when we're out as a family they're allowed to have a treat."
Henry: "The view on top of the stands was great, but I wasn't allowed to go down on my own to get popcorn, which is my favorite. But Daryl was bored. He'd already swooped down a few times and he chirped at Mom until she finally agreed to let him stay while she went down with me."
Garth [breaking down into tears]: "I still can't help but feel it's my fault."
Janice put her wing around Garth, comforting him and cooing until his sobs subside.
MORE: Joe Buck is broadcasting everyday life events to stay fresh during quarantine
Garth: "Daryl and I were up there alone, and I of course was keeping an eye on Janice and Henry. God forbid something should happen to them while they're down there. But everything went fine, and Henry got a few kernels. I didn't even realize Daryl was missing until Janice flew back up and asked where he went."
Janice: "I flew back up with Henry and he was just ... gone. I asked Garth where he went, neither of us realizing this was the start of our nightmare.
Garth: "I didn't realize he had gone. We immediately hit the skies, swooping around trying to find him. He wasn't supposed to take off like that without telling us."
Henry: "I spotted him first. Mom and Dad were looking in the stands. But I saw him perched close to the backstop, and I immediate realized what he wanted."
Henry: "The players would spit sunflower seeds over the sides of the dugout while the game was going on. Daryl loved sunflower seeds. They were even better than crackerjack to him."
Garth: "He must have thought he could fly over, grab some seeds, and fly back before anyone even realized."
Janice: "I saw it happen. Feathers everywhere. At first I couldn't believe it. I thought he was injured. His body bounced on the field, and then he didn't move."
Garth: "Johnson was brutal with his fastball. That thing probably hit him going 100 miles an hour. He had no chance."
Janice: "The worst part, the very worst part, is that they basically said it never even happened. To rule it a no-pitch broke my heart."
Garth: "I'm an MLBB (Major League Bird Baseball) umpire, and I've seen my share of games. I can tell you I understand why they did it. But it doesn't make it hurt any less."
Janice: "We never even got his body. They threw it in the trash. We had an empty-coffin funeral."
Henry: "My mom tried to cover my eyes with her wings, but I watched them scrape feathers off the field. I still have nightmares."
Janice: "Birds are killed all the time. Hunting, windows, car crashes. This was different. It should never have happened."
Garth: "When Jeff Kent picked up his lifeless body, laughing, Janice had to hold me back. I was fluttering to get down there and peck a chunk out of his hand. No All-Star Game or Silver Slugger that year, bud! And then for them to win the World Series that year? It felt like Daryl was a sacrifice."
MORE: A sports fan's guide to Netflix, Hulu, YouTube & more after coronavirus cancels live games
Janice: "We were rooting against the Diamondbacks every chance we got that whole season."
Garth: "It's Johnson we have the real issue with. Oh, sure, he didn't want to talk about it for a while. Committing birdslaughter, and he gets to say 'no comment.' He doesn't find it funny, supposed to be some sort of 'conservationist.' But then he made a logo of a dead dove for his photography website. It was like being punched in the gut."
Janice: "We have a family friend who's a parrot, and he told us when he saw his human looking at it. Bit that guy right on the finger and squawked at him for an hour. But you can imagine our distress."
Henry: "Whenever we fly over [Johnson's] mansion in Arizona, we make sure to leave a little something on his deck, or his car. We haven't gotten lucky enough to see him outside yet. But we keep flying by."
Janice: Every year, on the anniversary, they bring it up. In a way it's nice that he's remembered. But he'll always be 'the bird that Randy Johnson hit.' To us, he's just our son, Daryl. And we miss him to this day."