Yesterday’s Astros/Padres game had to endure a 52-minute delay in the ninth inning due to a swarm of bees that set up shop near San Diego left fielder Kyle Blanks at Petco Park.

This would be an even bigger deal if it was the first time that something chaotic happened in a baseball stadium, but sadly, it’s not. In fact, it isn’t even the first time that bees caused a player to run for cover. Remember old friend Darren Oliver? He was forced to run from the mound in a 2005 spring training game while pitching for the Rockies. The reason? A swarm of bees attacked him, which he blamed on his hair gel. Every time he tried to go back to the mound, the bees accompanied him, so he was taken out of the game. Because of bees.

A few weeks ago I briefly touched on this sort of stuff as a result of the  Coco Crisp vs. Seagulls fiasco.

Doesn’t this all seem a bit too Little League? Running off the field because of bees? Losing a game because of a bunch of birds? Having a playoff game ruined by midges?

Then there are the roadbumps that come at the hands of Mother Nature. Obviously, delays and postponements due to rain, or even snow, aren’t anything that anyone can get too worked up about (unless you’re Mike Lowell and you’re miffed that the game was even attempted given the forecast).

The biggest case of a natural disaster in a stadium (besides Rosanne Barr in Jack Murphy Stadium — thank you, Mr. Werner) is obviously the Loma Prieta earthquake, which disrupted the 1989 World Series for 10 days after terrifying everyone in Candlestick Park prior to Game 3.

Rather than giving you the same old videos everyone has seen on the matter, here’s a pretty remarkable one-shot by a terribly nerdy-looking Giants fan that features some great before/after footage.

That video shows a lot of what went on from a fan’s perspective, but since people would probably rather hear Al Michaels’ voice than that guy’s, here’s the memorable ABC lead-in from that night.

The Loma Prieta Earthquake on National Television

Disasters at ballparks don’t always occur during the game or as fans are packing the stadium. In fact, three were killed when a crane collapsed during the construction of Miller Park back in 1999.

Normally, people will say it was an usual day at the ballpark when they see an infielder turn an unassisted triple play or an outfielder drop a homer into the stands. History is beginning to prove that not all shocking events at the stadium can be written into one’s score card.

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