A man fell from the 21-foot Clemente Wall in right field at Pittsburgh's PNC Park during Wednesday night's game between the Pirates and Chicago Cubs.
As of late Wednesday, the man was reportedly in critical condition. Pittsburgh Police were investigating.
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A man fell from the 21-foot Clemente Wall in right field at Pittsburgh's PNC Park during Wednesday night's game between the Pirates and Chicago Cubs.
As of late Wednesday, the man was reportedly in critical condition. Pittsburgh Police were investigating.
According to ESPN, citing wire service reports, Andrew McCutchen hit a two-run double in the seventh inning to put the Pirates ahead 4-3. Players immediately began waving frantically for medical personnel and pointing to the man, who had fallen onto the warning track.
The fan was tended to for approximately five minutes by members of the Pirates' and Cubs' training staffs, as well as PNC personnel, before being removed from the field on a cart, ESPN reported.
The man was transported to Allegheny General Hospital, according to a team statement following the game. No further details were given.
Pirates manager Derek Shelton and Cubs manager Craig Counsell alerted the umpire crew of the situation immediately after the play.
"Even though it's 350 feet away or whatever it is, I mean the fact of how it went down and then laying motionless while the play is going on, I mean Craig saw it, I saw it. We both got out there," Shelton said, as reported by ESPN. "... It's extremely unfortunate. That's an understatement."
Players from both teams could be seen praying, and McCutchen held a cross that hung from his neck while the fan was moved from the field.
"Truly hate what happened tonight," McCutchen posted on X late Wednesday. "Cant help but think about that guy, his family and friends. I pray tonight for him. Let us think about his loved ones and hug our families a little tighter tonight. I hope he pulls thru. May God Bless you all. Good night."
"I didn't see anything happen, but I saw [Counsell's] face when he came out on the field, and I could tell that it was a very scary moment," Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson said, as reported by ESPN. "All we could do was just pray for a good, strong recovery for him and his family. I have never been part of something like that before and I hope I am never part of something like that again.
"It's a humble reminder of the gratitude we should all have to play this game. Folks obviously come out to support us, and they are a big reason why we are able to do what we do. It's obviously tough. At a time like that, you want [the fans] to know you love them."
Fans have died from steep falls at baseball stadiums.
In 2015, Atlanta Braves season-ticket holder Gregory Murrey flipped over guard rails from the upper deck at Turner Field.
That was four years after Shannon Stone, a firefighter attending a game with his 6-year-old son, fell about 20 feet after reaching out for a foul ball tossed into the stands at the Texas Rangers' former stadium.
Related: Another Upper Deck Accident Underscores Safety Debate
As reported by ESPN, both incidents prompted scrutiny over the height of guard rails at stadiums. It's a topic that has been revisited regularly by Athletic Business and AB Today.
From AB: Should Building Codes Be Changed to Keep Fans from Falling Out of Their Seats?
The Rangers raised theirs, and the Braves settled a lawsuit with Murrey's family.
From AB: One on One: Baseball Fan Hollye Minter Recalls Fall from Stands
Related: Raingers to Raise Ballpark Railings to 42 Inches
A spectator at a 2022 NFL game at Pittsburgh's Acrisure Stadium died after a fall on an escalator, according to ESPN. It was the second NFL stadium escalator death in months that year, as a woman died earlier from a fall at Denver's Empower Field at Mile High, where she was attending a Kenny Chesney concert. Escalators represent another topic explored repeatedly in the pages of AB.
