A man from the Houston Astros dugout was hit by a supposed foul ball. During Game 2 between the New York Yankees and the Houston Astros, Michael Brantley reportedly hit the victim with a foul ball off the bat of the AL Championship Series. The man was not in uniform. He immediately left the dugout with a towel over his head.
Late Sunday, the Astros released a statement to update the public of the incident that happened. On behalf of the Harris County Emergency Corps, they confirmed that one of their employees was hit, but was taken to the hospital for immediate medical treatment. The said victim was carefully evaluated and was declared to be in a stable condition.
The management sends its apology to the employee and his family for what happened. The company that provided paramedic services did not issue any further details about what happened.
Michale Brantley also sent his prayers and well-wishes for the immediate recovery of the victim. He said he hopes to be able to talk to him when he's in a much stable condition. Brantley said this during an interview after the Astros beat the Yankees in 11 innings with a score of 3-2.
The game was briefly halted after the accident that happened in the fifth inning. AJ Hinch, the manager of Houston Astros walked up to Brantley and consoled him immediately when the incident happened as Brantley was seen shaken up by what happened.
Several other Astros players were seen in the dugout looking down and distraught. The Yankees players who had a view of the dugout were left speechless too. Carlos Correa and George Springer were both seen putting their hands on their heads and then looking away a few seconds after they witnessed the ball enter their dugout and hit the victim.
The play was resumed a few minutes after the incident. Brantley was struck out of the game after the pitch by Adam Ottavino.
A protective netting was extended at the Minute Made Park to lessen possible incidents of spectators getting hit by the balls. It basically covered most of the seating area. However, no such protective installations have been made for the dugouts. Which may have led this incident to happen.
Although it was unfortunate, the incident opened the idea of providing another layer of protection for the dugouts. The management is looking into what can be done to improve the safety and security of everyone in the dugout, especially the players.
The extended protective netting idea came as a result of another unfortunate accident. A 2-year old girl watching the game with her family sustained a skull fracture when a foul ball hit her during a game in Houston in May.
Incidents as such could be prevented if protective structures were put up. Life-threatening incidents won't be a problem in the future. The management remains hopeful spectators won't stop watching and supporting their favorite team.
