As a baseball fan, I have to respond to the two postings with regard to
the Dave Winfield episode.

I was at the game in question when the Yankees were playing the Blue Jays.
Winfield was warming up and he aimed at the Ring-billed Gull and attempted
to hit it. It did not appear to be accidental. Most people in Toronto felt
that the Humane Society had overstepped its bounds by arresting him. He
eventually apologized for the incident and was released.

As a Blue Jays fan, I'm glad he was released... He eventually joined the
Jays and helped them win their first of two World Series!!!

Eric L. Walters
Dept. of Biology
University of Victoria
Victoria, B.C.

(formerly of Toronto)

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Mark Crotteau writes:

I also have would like to express my surprise regarding the posting by
Michael Powell about Dave Winfield being arrested for accidentally hitting
a gull with a baseball. I would have thought that intent would have to be
demonstrated for such an act to be regarded as a criminal act. I have
certainly never heard of anyone being prosecuted for hitting a bird with a
car, which would seem to fall in the same category. Was there suspicion
in Winfield's case that he did it on purpose?

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Michael Powell writes:

I recently read in _Birding for Beginners_ by Sheila Buff (1993,
Lyons and Burford) (gee, that sure says something about me) that all
native wild birds, with the exception of pigeons (rock doves), starlings,
and house sparrows, are protected by federal, state, and provincial laws.
Minus, of course, licensed hunting; research; etc. She also told the story
of Dave Winfield (an outfielder for the New York Yankees in 1983, the setting
for this story), who was arrested after he accidently killed a gull with a
warm-up throw during a game in Toronto.

Funny that he was with the "AWAY" team. I wonder if the same
would have happened if the game took place in New York, or had it been
a Toronto player's throw? :)
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