A potentially tragic event was closely avoided during a 2016 spring training game between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Atlanta Braves when a Pirates’ player lost his hold on a baseball bat, sending it flying out of control and nearly striking a small child in the face.

Shaun Cunningham and his 8-year-old son, Landon, were screaming for the Braves from the bleachers when the near call occurred.

“I didn’t have a lot of time to think,” said the man who jumped into super parent mode. “Once I realized it was headed for my son, I just did anything I could to block it and deflect it.”

The now-viral shot was taken by Christopher Horner, a photographer with The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. He was sitting down the third-base line, right across from Cunningham and his kid, when he saw the bat slide from the fingers of Pirates outfielder Danny Ortiz.

While the photographer noticed right away that he had captured the moment, it wasn’t until later, when he studied the shot on his computer, that he truly realized the seriousness of that perilous situation.

The Cunninghams saw the snapshot for the first time on Sunday night.”It made me sick to my stomach,” said Landon’s mother, Ashley Cunningham.

Her husband had informed her during the game that there had been “a little bit of an incident” with a bat nearly striking their son but had reassured her that everything was alright. Cunningham had just gotten a few bruises on his arm, and that was the extent of his injury.

The main subject of discussion on social media has been why the youngster was staring at his phone when the bat came rushing towards him. Cunningham clarified that Landon had borrowed his phone and was sending a photo of Ortiz to his mother.

“So while he was looking at the picture, I made sure I was paying attention to everything,” he said.

Despite the close call, Landon, who enjoys baseball, said he had a terrific time at the game. It was his first visit to a professional baseball game, a special treat in preparation for his birthday next week.

“It’s been insane. “The last 24 hours have been out of control,” said the quick-thinking father from Ocala, Florida, who has been dubbed a hero in multiple media outlets.

Landon referred to his father as his hero, admitting that he might have ended up in the hospital if it hadn’t been for his father’s quick thinking.

A parent’s ultimate sacrifice demonstrates their great, unwavering love for their offspring. It goes beyond words and frequently entails prioritizing their children’s needs and well-being above all else. This sacrifice can take numerous forms, but it is always motivated by a strong feeling of responsibility and devotion.

At times, parenthood can feel like it grants you superpowers you never knew existed until you have to put them into action. Watch the video about this man who went on super dad mode.