Fan At Comerica Struck By Foul Ball, Taken To Hospital
By Ashley Scoby
@AshleyScoby
The Tigers' 2-0 loss to the Rangers Friday night wasn't pretty to begin with. But it got much uglier and much more serious in the bottom of the eighth inning, when a fan sitting behind the Tigers' dugout was struck by a rocketing foul ball off Anthony Gose's bat.
Fans sitting nearby the injured woman immediately started gesturing for ushers to come down, and soon after, medical personnel arrived. The fan was taken out of the section via stretcher, and she was also put in a neck brace. She was conscious as she was taken out.
According to Tigers officials, the fan, who they did not name, was evaluated at Comerica's first aid station, then transported to Detroit Receiving Hospital. She was being evaluated Friday night and would receive X-rays. According to the Tigers, the team was planning on following up with the family Saturday morning to check on how she was doing.
"I do think fan safety is a growing concern," Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said after the game. "It's not really my call, but I do think it' something that should be looked at."
Gose was unavailable for comment after the game, but several players voiced their displeasure with major league stadiums not having more protective netting that extends past the dugouts. The fan who was injured was sitting directly behind the Tigers' dugout, and would have been protected by such netting.
"It's something that needs to be addressed immediately," said pitcher Justin Verlander, who threw seven innings on Friday, but wasn't on the mound when the fan got hit. "It almost seems like something happens once a game. A ball just misses a fan, or inevitably it's always like small kids or women. It's something that needs to be looked at and hopefully it doesn't get to a point where something really serious happens. … I think baseball needs to make an adjustment in a hurry."
The Tigers' Nick Castellanos agreed, and recounted his minor league days, where similar incidents happened too frequently for comfort.
"The nets need to go up all around baseball, without a doubt, even in minor league stadiums," said Nick Castellanos. "I remember in west Michigan, (on) field trip days, I've seen kids get hit, multiple fans get hit, and I don't know what the cause is, why they (MLB) haven't done it yet, but for the safety of the fans, it's necessary. If today doesn't get nets up, what else is it going to take?"
