Marlon Byrd's bat breaks into two pieces on swing and miss

In a bizarre moment that has to be seen to be believed, Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Marlon Byrd had his bat break into two pieces on a pitch he swung at and missed completely.
During Sunday afternoon's game against the New York Mets, Byrd took a typically healthy cut at a fastball from left-hander Jonathan Niese. However, before Byrd's bat could get to the baseball, it snapped at the handle and the barrel went flying toward the first base side of the pitcher's mound.
No contact was made whatsoever  not even a tick. The bat simply broke apart mid-swing, and all that was left in Byrd's hands was the knob.
Here's another look. Needless to say, that's something you don't see every day. It's strange enough when players actually hit home runs with a broken bat. That's happened numerous times over the years and it still boggles the mind every time. But a broken bat on a swing and miss is a new one.
Naturally, when something new and strange like this happens, Twitter reacts accordingly.
The last one seems like the best explanation.

Well, that or Byrd actually broke the bat on a previous swing and didn't realize it. It happens occasionally, but most of the time hitters can sense when there's a crack or just something a little off about their bat. It's why you'll see them bounce the handle off the ground every now and then. If they can't feel a break, they might hear it.

In Byrd's case, he obviously didn't feel or hear anything. He just kept hacking, and in doing so gave us a unique and stunning visual.