Just a reminder for all you baseball fanatics...

[Spinner]

...Always keep your guard up at a ball game. Especially when you're sitting in those great seats down near field level.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-baseball-boy-hurtjul12,0,5534169.story

I've had the good fortune to sit in first row seats right on the third base line at Wrigley the last three games I went to. Great seats, great perspective of the game, and a hell of a lot of danger from flying bats and balls.

A lot of the players themselves won't let their families sit in those seats. They know all too well the danger from a line drive or a broken bat.

By all means, enjoy the game. But when that pitcher gets into his windup, your undivided attention should be on him and the batter.

[Greenhat]

I've sat in the seats just beyond the visitor's dugout (3d base line) right at the wall of Yankee Stadium many times. Like Spinner said, be alert. Anywhere you sit at a ballgame, you should be alert. I've seen people hit by line drives in the right field bleachers (talk about not paying attention) and well behind the 1st base dugout. The only place that is really safe is the area protected by the backstop. Taking a glove to the game is a good thing, even if you aren't interested in souveniers.

[grappler]

I've thought about this a few times sitting behind the dugout at Rosenblat during night games and with the bright lights and angle the ball's coming at you, good luck with a hard line drive...

Even if this seven year old was paying attention, I doubt he would have reacted to it enough to not get hit. I hate seeing kids get hurt.

[SGTROCK]

Wow I feel bad for the little guy. My family had season seats for 22 years for the LA Kings hockey team and I have seen my share of fans take a puck to the forehead and carried out on stretchers.....no lie!
I remember and want to say it was sometime in the late 70's early 80's,when the Dodgers catcher Steve Yeager was in the batters box and seven pieces of wood from the bat of Bill Russel, shattered and went into the throat of Yeager.
Pretty scary.

Rock

[Spinner]

The last game I attended, I was with my uncle and his two daughters, one of whom was about 6 months pregnant. I can't even remember how many times I've watched line drive foul balls shoot right at those seats on TV.

I think there was an unspoken understanding that if anything was hit even remotely close to our seats, I was to put myself in front of her.

Not too much pressure. :D

[spectr17]

Hope the kid is alright.

One Angels game we're sitting down the left field line in the deck and Joe Carter from the Jays is up, a notorious pull hitter. I've got a glove and I give a heads up to my buddy. Joe slices the first pitch foul and here it comes on a perfect curve to our section. We brace ourselves for the catch and the guy in the front row that's turned yakking to his buddy, suddenly spins around and jumps up to try and cut us off. Ball ricochets off his melon about 30 feet and down over the rail into the lower deck. It would have been an easy basket catch for us.

Ushers finally had to come over and drag his now dazed azz off to first aid.

I can still vividly remember the guy Pete Rose almost killed back in early 70s I think it was. They had a pic of him in the papers the next day in the hosptial with him holding up a ball Rose signed for him and looking like a raccoon.

[Spinner]

Looks like the youngster is going to be released tommorrow, he's made an excellent recovery. He's very lucky, and hopefully it won't have any long term effect on him.

The Trib posted up some pictures of close calls in the stands over the last few years, most of them bats that either broke or the batter lost his grip.

Can't beat fun at the ol' ballpark.

[Greenhat]

And for all the baseball fanatics... was that a hell of an all-star game, or what? Wow!!

[smc]

Sit in the bleachers at Wrigley and you need complete situational awareness. Home run balls, and the drunken fans (not that i've ever been a part of that contingent :D )

If you ever need to get rid of some seats for a decent price Spinner, let me know!

[Husker19D30]

And for all the baseball fanatics... was that a hell of an all-star game, or what? Wow!!

It was a long all star game, with lots of back and forth, but I wouldn't say it was characterized by a lot of great plays.

And now my Cubbies will have to play away to take the World Series title. :(

[Carl Spackler]

Angels in 1st place...:cool:

[WSU]

My favorite first baseman Justin Morneau has really had a success during the all-star break. He won the Home Run Durby, I must admit if he wasn't in the finals I would have been routing for Josh Hamilton. Than Justin Morneau slid his spikes across the plate just ahead of a tag in the bottom of the 15th inning..... Man he is one hell of a ball player!
Go TWINS!

[Greenhat]

It was a long all star game, with lots of back and forth, but I wouldn't say it was characterized by a lot of great plays.(

Two players thrown out at home? A strike-out/throw-out double-play? Stolen bases, runners caught stealing. Great catches in the outfield, strong throws to the plate. Some great pitching. A lot of runners on base, not many that scored. Sorry, I disagree. I think you're sour because the NL lost (of course, Utley didn't exactly have a good game).

And did you really expect the NL would win? In Yankee Stadium? With the record the NL has over the last ten years?

[rgrjoe175]

My son has saved my melon on several occasions at Marlins games. I always make sure he is between me and the batter...LOL.

Good to hear the boy is recovering.

[Spinner]

Sit in the bleachers at Wrigley and you need complete situational awareness. Home run balls, and the drunken fans (not that i've ever been a part of that contingent :D )

If you ever need to get rid of some seats for a decent price Spinner, let me know!

I'll probably never sit in seats half as good ever again. My uncle used to get the tickets from a longtime friend and poker playing buddy, who passed away a couple of years ago.

His son inherited the tickets, and probably has his own agenda as far as using them. They're the kind of seats that command big bucks for the premium series, especially the crosstown games with the Sox.

I doubt he'll ever have the opportunity of cashing in on the WS, though. :(

And that was a great All Star game, best I've ever seen. I started watching in the 7th and stayed up until the end.

[Husker19D30]

And that was a great All Star game, best I've ever seen. I started watching in the 7th and stayed up until the end.

The Omaha Fox affiliate crashed due to a thunderstorm in the top of the 9th, so I missed the last six innings. Now that Greenhat has described them I feel like I was cheated (and like a dumbass).