Updated 01:50 PM EDT, Thu, Mar 28, 2024

Live Sporting Events Not Safe? Audience Hit by Foul Ball at Cubs-Pirates Game

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During Monday's game between the Chicago Cubs and the Pittsburgh Pirates, a woman in the crowd was hit with a foul ball on her head during the second inning. Because of the incident, safety concerns during live sporting events have been raised.

According to Yahoo Sports, the game was stopped for 23 minutes while a medical team examined the unidentified woman who collapsed when she was hit on the head but was reportedly conscious when she was taken to a hospital from the PNC Park.

Chicago Tribune said the woman has already been released from the hospital following the incident, as announced by the Pirates.

"The female fan who was struck by a foul ball during last night's game was sent via ambulance to the hospital for the appropriate examinations. Thankfully, the fan was released from the hospital following those examinations," the Pirates was quoted in a similar Sports Illustrated article.

The team said they are thankful for the positive outcome of the unexpected incident. "The organization is in the process of reaching out to her to show our support. Due to privacy laws, we will not reveal the name of the fan, nor additional details at this time," added the team.

The Pirates also thanked the PNC Park personnel and the fans at the scene for their quick response.

"The fact nobody is getting up, and there are ice bags, we had no idea what was going on. Couple guys saw it and said it was horrid," said Cubs manager Joe Maddon in the Chicago Tribune report.

Assessing the incident, Yahoo Sports said this is a clear reminder that live sports events come with risks. "It could serve as the starting point on a discussion about ballpark safety and to what degree fans should be held responsible for what happens when the game makes its way into the stands," the same report added.

The question being raised now is if there is any better alternative to protect spectators sitting or standing at live sporting events.

As for the liability of the fan, Yahoo Sports wrote that once someone purchases a ticket for a game, they already "assume liability and acknowledge all potential dangers that come with being a spectator." Apparently, this idea is based on "The Baseball Rule."

It also noted that that they are sympathetic to the woman who were slammed by social media users, allegedly for not paying attention during the game. But Yahoo Sports noted that the blame should not be put on the woman hurt in the incident.

"What makes this situation more complicated is that it went down in an area where fans are supposedly protected. Shouldn't the paying customer reasonably expect the protective netting to, you know, protect them?" Yahoo Sports asked.

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