-
Security incident: ISF was recently accessed by intruders. Please change your password, and change it anywhere else you used it. Read more
Man dies at ball game trying to catch the ball
- Thread starter Ron_Tomkins
- Start date
-
- Tags
- death incidents
NoahFence
Banned
I'm sure he wasn't thinking he was risking his life. It was just a tragic accident.
Plus - getting a foul ball for your kid at a ballgame? Isn't that like Americana 101 stuff?
I feel bad for Josh Hamilton. Dude must be a wreck.
Plus - getting a foul ball for your kid at a ballgame? Isn't that like Americana 101 stuff?
I feel bad for Josh Hamilton. Dude must be a wreck.
JJM 777
Illuminator
- Joined
- Jun 25, 2004
- Messages
- 4,060
The audience of stadiums is not designed for jumping in the air while looking up not down. It would be dangerous even if you are alone there.
angrysoba
Philosophile
As mentioned he obviously didn't think he was risking his life. The fact that this is the type of environment where someone will jump to catch a ball shows that some precautions might need to be taken.
Would anyone argue that NO railing was necessary with the seats perched upon a twenty feet drop?
AdMan
Penultimate Amazing
- Joined
- Feb 10, 2010
- Messages
- 10,293
I noticed that too. Even if he hadn't been able to hang on, he probably could have avoided falling head first.
The railing was too low, and the guy too tall for it to stop his falling over, but even if they made the railings higher fans would climb onto them, and you'd get the same security risk.
But remember, he died from a heart attack in the ambulance. He was conscious and asking about his son after the fall, which makes the story somehow sadder.
There are legal requirements for all these railings in our society. Want a deck on your house? Same requirements as a ball park, maybe even more strict, as 4" is the maximum that can pass thru a deck railing.
I find it interesting in the video that they raise the railing, like 6", where the stairs meet the railing. Has anyone ever tumbled down the stairs and fell over the rail? I mean, with no ball catching involved.
Eta; pic of raised, extra safe railing by stairs
That might even be a foot higher
Last edited:
angrysoba
Philosophile
People probably would climb them, yes. But then there would be no question of them not knowing where the railing - and hence the drop - is.
In this case the guy wasn't climbing up to his doom.
CptColumbo
Just One More Question
I imagine Josh Hamilton isn't in a very good place right now.
A few people have mentioned him, I don't understand. Why? He doesn't have anything to do with it.
NotJesus
Unsaviory
Why couldn't it have happened to this woman instead?
AdMan
Penultimate Amazing
- Joined
- Feb 10, 2010
- Messages
- 10,293
Yes, but we don't know (or at least I don't) what brought about the heart attack. He might have had brain injuries that brought on the heart attack, which perhaps could have been avoided if he'd landed on his legs.
It's speculation in any case.
Distracted1
Philosopher
Since he did not die from the fall, it might be asserted that he was not risking his life.
Perhaps the more dangerous activity would have been climbing the stairs and walking back to his car, with the unknown heart problem he had.
The rail seems adequate to my eyes, I have no issues with the safety precautions taken by the ballpark- Nor would I accuse the fan in question of foolhardiness; he had a stressful accident that could happen to almost anyone and his heart gave out.
Must a finger always be pointed when something sad happens?
She's obviously on top of the dugout.
angrysoba
Philosophile
It's not speculation. Of course he died from the fall. It wasn't from his forty Marlboro and twenty Twinkie a day habit which coincidentally made itself known on the same day as he fell 15-20 feet head-first from a baseball stand.
I don't follow sports, but I'm pretty sure he was the All Star outfielder that threw the ball 2 feet to the right, and a couple feet short of this fireman that didn't have a good grasp on some very basic physics. I'm surprised he made it 18 years in the fire department, must have been a slow district.
rwguinn
Penultimate Amazing
Of course. There must be somebody other than the victim at fault (otherwise he wouldn't be a victim)
The rails were to code (remember, Arlington, Texas is the city that wouldn't let the NFL get away with sub-standard seating at the Roman Numeral game)
The problem was that he landed on concrete behind the scoreboard.
To be fair, people go to baseball and sports events to unwind, and stop thinking for a few hours, like moviegoing.