ICYMI: Dad Saves Son From Flying Bat at Braves Spring Training Game

ORLANDO, FL -- 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.

Shaun Cunningham and son Landon were at an Atlanta Braves spring training game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, reports The Daily Mail. Outfielder Danny Ortiz was at the plate for the Bucs when his bat slipped from his hands and went flying toward the stands.

Landon was sending a photo of Ortiz to his mom on his dad's cellphone as the bat headed straight toward him. At the last second, Shaun Cunningham thrust his arm in front of the boy, with the bat just inches from Landon's face.

"I was watching the game and I saw the bat flying," Shaun Cunningham, who is a Marion County firefighter, told Bay News 9. "It just slipped out of Danny Ortiz’s hand. And I saw it heading towards him. I didn’t have a lot of time. Guess I’d call it Dad-mode. Just protecting my son."

The only damage from the accident was a bruise on Shaun Cunningham's arm.

Landon called his dad "a hero" afterward.

Oh, and this was Landon's very first Major League Baseball game, and it was a birthday present. Not only do he and his dad have a great story to tell, but they also got to keep the bat, and are hoping Ortiz will sign it.

Here's the original story from Daily Mail.