The Yankees and the Dodgers ran back the World Series on Friday night, and while the Yankees suffered a loss in Los Angeles, one of their fans suffered physical injuries. Ricardo Aquino was seated in Section 10 of Dodger Stadium when he was hit by a piece of falling concrete.
According to USA Today, Aquino was treated by medical professionals on the scene, and he did not have any life-threatening injuries, but he was experiencing a good deal of pain from the impact. Fans seated around Aquino reported thinking that the falling object had been thrown from another spectator. However, it quickly became clear that the concrete had fallen from the stadium itself.
The Dodgers initially released a statement to The Athletic that read, “We are aware of the report. We cannot comment further until we have all the information, which we are currently collecting.”In the days since the accident, the Dodgers have “installed a small section of protective netting in the upper deck of Dodger Stadium.” According to The Athletic, the netting covers a few feet of concrete that is visibly cracked and insecure. The Dodgers have confirmed that facility operators are reviewing the safety concerns in the sections between home plate and first base.
Dodger Stadium is the third-oldest stadium in the MLB. It was built in 1962, but it is far from the only stadium to experience a structural malfunction. The Athletic reported that in 1998, a concrete beam fell at Yankee Stadium, and in 2004, some concrete also fell at Wrigley Field. However, Dodger Stadium completed a $100-million renovation in 2020, leading some fans to question how the concrete could already be in disrepair.
