There is nothing like watching a Major League Baseball game on a sunny afternoon. Unfortunately for one family, they were given quite a scare on Wednesday afternoon’s game between the Twins and Yankees. During the game, a foul ball hit a young girl in the head that delayed the game for several minutes.
Todd Frazier was at bat for New York in the fifth inning when he hit a line drive down the third base line that connected with a young girl who was seated in the sixth row. Within seconds of the child being struck, a fan seated near the child began signaling for medical assistance.
The game immediately stopped. Frazier and other players stared into the stands, hoping the incident wasn’t as serious as it appeared.
Child gets hit by a foul ball at Yankees game. The players' reactions say it all. pic.twitter.com/YIyaBJq7tT
— Jordan Heck (@JordanHeckFF) September 20, 2017
Several players from both teams went down to a knee and some were visibly shaken by the scene. Matt Holliday, who was on second base, was brought to tears according to the New York Post.
The young fan was then carried out by a man as fans cheered in support. After about a four-minute delay, play resumed in the bottom of the 5th inning.
This isn’t the first time a spectator has been injured this season by a foul ball at Yankee Stadium. On July 25, a foul ball hit by Aaron Judge struck a fan in the head, which left him bloodied. In May, a piece of a broken bat also hit a fan in the head, causing a laceration.
Prior to last season, Major League Baseball sent a memo to all teams encouraging them to add netting that extends at least 70 feet in each direction from home plate. The Yankees are one of the teams who has expanded the netting.
However, the move was not mandated because each stadium’s structure is different. And as Wednesday’s incident proved, the extra netting can’t protect every fan.
While the entire crowd received quite a scare, it appears the girl will recover and live to see another MLB game in the future if she chooses to. The Yankees went on to beat the Twins 11-3.
H/T Wildcard
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