On Sept. 7, a San Diego Padres fan had a bad day. He was in the right-field stands when he got hit with a home-run ball in the neck unexpectedly. The amusing part of the story is that he was standing right next to a sign that warned of flying baseballs.
This incident got me thinking of other fan blunders.
Here are five my favorites:
5. Steve Bartman: His is definitely the most famous gaffe. The Florida Marlins and the Chicago Cubs were playing Game 6 of the 2003 National League Championship Series. The Cubs were leading 3-0 with one out in the top of the eighth inning. Marlins second baseman Luis Castillo fouled a ball down the left-field line. Bartman and many others fans reached for the foul ball, a ball that outfielder Moises Alou felt he could have caught. Alou stamped his feet and acted like a child, and soon after the Cubs spiraled out of control and lost the game and then the series. Bartman was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time — and he has paid for it ever since.
4. A’s fan topples over: In September 2010, the Seattle Mariners were in Oakland to take on the A’s. Coco Crisp cracked a solo shot to left field, and a fan tried to make a play. Instead, he toppled over sideways and missed the ball. The funniest part of the whole thing is the guy was all alone; he didn’t need to fight anyone off. The ball wound up escaping his grasp, and he probably wound up with a bruise or two.
3. Fan of Dodgers drops daughter: In a game against the Florida Marlins earlier this season, a Los Angeles Dodgers fan got a little over exuberant. He was holding his daughter when a foul ball came his way. He was fighting inside his head: “daughter, ball, daughter, ball.” Well, ball won, and he still whiffed on the play. Mom and daughter were miffed at dad at least for a little while.
2. Astros dude: In August of 2010, chivalry took its final breath. A male Houston Astros fan ole’d a foul ball that was coming right at him and his girlfriend wound up taking it on the elbow. When interviewed, the guy broke out the old, “I lost it in the lights” excuse. Astros dude lost the girl, but gained a baseball. Not a good trade, my man.
1. Did I just get hit with pizza?: This last one took place at Fenway Park in 2009. The Los Angeles Angels were in Boston to take on the Red Sox — and things took an odd turn. A ball was fouled off down the left-field line and a man tried to catch it. In the process, he spilled his beer and the beer of the guy next to him — but that wasn’t the strange part. All of a sudden, a slice of pizza came flying in at the guy from a couple of seats back. The best part of this is trying to figure out what was going through the mind of the pizza sniper. He hit his target but was soon escorted from the premises.
More from this contributor:
The Five Best Baseball Announcers of All Time