The “Baseball Rule” is a legal doctrine that holds fans responsible for their own safety when entering a ballpark, including protecting themselves from foul balls. While exceptions have been made for fans who pursue legal action after being injured by foul balls, Major League Baseball teams generally take precautions to ensure fan safety, such as placing EMT personnel in the stands and offering memorabilia as a gesture of goodwill. In a recent incident, a Toronto Blue Jays fan named Liz McGuire was hit on the forehead by a foul ball during a game, resulting in her own baseball card being created.
Attending a game where the Blue Jays played against the Tampa Bay Rays at the Rogers Centre in Toronto, McGuire was struck by a foul ball hit by Bo Bichette. She shared a photo of her injuries on social media, which gained significant attention with over 10,000 retweets and 165,000 likes. The Blue Jays and trading card company Topps responded quickly by creating a custom trading card for McGuire, highlighting her resilience for staying at the game after being hit by a 110mph ball. Topps produced 110 copies of the card, gifting them to McGuire, who later announced plans to auction some to benefit a pediatric rehabilitation hospital in Toronto.
The response to McGuire’s incident seems to come from a place of goodwill, with Topps not seeking to profit from the situation and McGuire using the cards to support a charitable cause. McGuire also displayed no ill feelings towards Bichette, emphasizing that the incident happened quickly and could have happened to anyone. One valuable lesson McGuire learned from the experience is to keep her head up and potentially wear a helmet to batting practice as a precaution. The incident serves as a reminder of the risks associated with attending baseball games and the importance of fan safety in such environments.
Overall, the creation of McGuire’s baseball card and the positive response from Topps and the Blue Jays highlight the unexpected ways in which incidents at baseball games can be turned into positive gestures of support and charity. Despite the inherent risks involved in attending games, fans like McGuire continue to show resilience and a love for the sport, even after experiencing unfortunate events. The incident also underscores the need for fans to remain vigilant and take necessary precautions to protect themselves from potential injuries, while also recognizing the efforts made by teams and organizations to prioritize fan safety.
