Girl taken to hospital after being hit by 170kmh foul ball
NEW YORK: A young girl at Yankee Stadium was injured by a 170kmh foul ball off the bat of the Yankees’ Todd Frazier during his team’s Major League Baseball game against Minnesota, leading some players to call for protective netting to be extended.
The Yankees said the girl was taken to hospital for treatment, and New York manager Joe Girardi said he had been told by team security that she was OK.
The game was delayed for about four minutes while she was attended to and then carried from the seats in the bottom of the fifth inning.
A shaken Frazier crouched with his hands over his face.
The third baseman then bowed his head, walked away from the plate, crouched again and rested his head on the end of his bat.
‘‘I thought of my kids. I have two kids under 3 years old and I just hope she’s all right,’’ Frazier said.
‘‘I know the dad or whoever it was that was with them was trying their hardest, but the ball’s coming at 120 miles an hour at them and the ball’s hooking. So it’s like if you’ve never seen a ball like that, which most people in the world haven’t, it’s very tough.’’
Asked whether there should be more netting, Yankees rookie slugger Aaron Judge said: ‘‘We need it.’’
Twins players also were distressed, and second baseman Brian Dozier and the Yankees’ Matt Holliday tearfully said prayers at second base. — AP