"I didn't even get the ball" - Blue Jays fan who was clobbered with Bo Bichette foul lobbies team for the ball
On Sunday, Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette ripped a foul ball into the crowd. Unfortunately for Ottawa-born Liz McGuire, the errant sphere smacked her in the face, leaving her with a black eye that later morphed into a welt.
Despite sustaining these injuries, McGuire stuck around long enough to watch the Jays complete a 5-2 win over the Tampa Bay Rays. After the game, McGuire took to X to see if there was any chance of compensation from the team for the damages she incurred. After the game, McGuire mentioned via the social media outlet that she "didn't even get the ball" that had hit her.
"Hey @BlueJays I got my face mashed in by a 110mph foul off Bo Bichette's bat. I didn't even get the ball. I even stayed till the end of the game. Any way you can hook a girl up? #tothecore #bluejays" - Liz McGuire
According to McGuire, she was unable to recover the ball that smacked her at 110 miles per hour off of the bat of the Toronto Blue Jays shortstop. Although the post has been viewed over seven million times, the team has not issued any official response yet.
Before the 2020 season, MLB decided to erect extra mesh around the periphery of the playing field. The decision came amidst several cases like McGuire's, and some that ended up significantly worse. The case of Linda Goldbloom, who was killed by a foul ball at a San Diego Padres game in 2018, was a major factor contributing to the change.
Despite the win against the Rays on Sunday, the Jays remain in last place in the AL East. Now 20-25, the team is 11.5 games back of the New York Yankees as they head into a mid-week series against the White Sox.
Toronto Blue Jays fan Liz McGuire raises important concerns for fan safety
Although many strides have been made in recent years to attempt to make MLB games safer for the crowd, mitigating the risk entirely seems impossible.
With several casualties having mounted by errant balls over the decades, it is likely that McGuire's case will cause further scrutiny. McGuire tweeted:
"It was so fast! i just turned away for a second! it could happen to anyone!"
While certainly an unlikely event, McGuire is likely thankful that she walked away with a funny story, albeit no ball, rather than a more serious injury.