The Chicago Cubs beat the Pittsburgh Pirates, and rookie Addison Russell got a hit and scored a run during his Wrigley Field debut Monday night. Any kind of celebration was muted, however, because a fan was hospitalized after being struck by one of Russell's bats after it flew into the stands on a wild swing in the seventh inning. The fan was sitting several rows behind the Cubs on-deck circle, in a part of the stands that is unprotected by the backstop screen. As the Cubs and Pirates know, however, screens aren't always an answer.
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The fan, said to be conscious and communicative, was carted away on a stretcher and taken to a nearby hospital. Via the Associated Press, Russell was apologetic afterward:
'I felt so bad. Words can't describe how bad I feel,'' Russell said. ''I found the bat in my locker, so if you see that guy out there I'm willing to give him a bat and sign it and everything. I just feel terribly bad about that.'
The Chicago Tribune noted that two Cubs executives, including owner Tom Ricketts, were seated nearby and tried to assist the fan until medical personnel arrived. Apparently there was some blood. The Tribune quoted Russell as saying:
"When the bat was in mid-flight, my mind was screaming ‘watch out, watch out.' I saw the kid’s glasses fly, and it wasn’t pretty. I feel very bad."
They put up signs at ballparks about needing to "watch for flying objects," and a ball might be one such thing. A flying bat comes at you like a martial arts weapon. Being alert and even defending yourself with your hands isn't always enough to keep from being injured. And, of course, some fans will try to catch the bat as a souvenir. That doesn't necessarily work out.
Yikes.
Whoa. Hey, the left-field bleachers are coming along.
How does the bat even make contact with the ball if he's letting go?
The Cubs issued this statement:
An update on the fan injured during tonight's game. Thank you to everyone who has shared your concern. pic.twitter.com/MCXlOFJJiW
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) April 28, 2015
So that's good news, as is the Cubs' 11-7 record. The bad news? Russell is having trouble holding onto the bat. This is at least the third time in 25 plate appearances that he's sent one flying, and the second time it's landed in the stands. It also happened at Pittsburgh this past week, though it fell short of the stands that time. Not at Great American Ball Park, though:
Russell, though he's batting .160 with 13 strikeouts so far, is one of the key pieces in the team's rebuild. Hopefully, his flying bats aren't a reason for concern going forward.
