Father 'a little bruised' after saving son from bat

An afternoon at the ballpark to celebrate a birthday could have ended in disaster for eight-year-old Landon Cunningham, had it not been for the quick reflexes of his dad, Shaun.

During the fifth inning of the Pittsburgh Pirates-Atlanta Braves game on Saturday, Pirates outfielder Danny Ortiz lost grip of his bat and accidentally launched it into the crowd. Shaun instinctively stuck his arm.

"I was just protecting my son," Cunningham told Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune. "There wasn't a lot of time to think about it. I just reacted."

Shaun said both he and his son are in good health after avoiding a potentially serious injury.

"We're both fine," Cunningham said. "I'm a little bruised, but I'll survive. I've been through worse."

Landon's mom Ashley told Biertempfel that her son had just texted a photo to her before the incident. The moment has turned the family into mini-celebrities.

"It's been crazy all day with all the phone calls," Ashley said. "It was a pretty memorable birthday for Landon. Dad's really a hero in his eyes."