Foul ball changed woman's life; now she wants to warn others

[joseephuss]

http://www.statesman.com/news/local/foul-ball-changed-womans-life-now-she-wants-1079809.html

Foul ball changed woman's life; now she wants to warn others

Jennifer Speer thinks she saw the baseball right before it smashed into her face.

One moment she was sitting with her husband, Allan, and their friends in the ninth row near the third base dugout at Dell Diamond in Round Rock; the next she was hunched over in her seat and calling for Allan as blood flowed from her right eye.

"My face just felt like it was on fire," said Speer, 42, of Cedar Park.

A screaming line drive off a visiting player's bat turned an upbeat Saturday night at a Round Rock Express game last year into a lifelong disability for Speer, who lost the sight in her right eye from the ball's impact.

Now, Speer wants others to know how dangerous a night at the ballpark can be. She wants the Round Rock Express to do more to protect fans, and she wants the team held liable for her injuries.

About three months after Speer was injured, the team's insurer offered her $1,192 to pay for the medical bills that her health insurance didn't cover. She rejected the offer, in part because signing the agreement would have prohibited her from talking about her injuries and from seeking further payment from the team. The insurance company's letter noted signs at the ballpark that warn spectators: "Heads up for foul balls."

 

[burmafrd]

very rare indeed but it can happen. The number of events like this is microscopic when looking at the number of baseball games at all levels even in one year. This is like worrying about your airliner crashing. And actually much less likely.

 

[joseephuss]

very rare indeed but it can happen. The number of events like this is microscopic when looking at the number of baseball games at all levels even in one year. This is like worrying about your airliner crashing. And actually much less likely.

It becomes even more less likely if you are paying attention.

 

[rkell87]

It becomes even more less likely if you are paying attention.

bingo, why are you there if you aren't watching the small amount of actual action

 

[Illini88228]

bingo, why are you there if you aren't watching the small amount of actual action

I think it's probably too unlikely to worry about, but in her defense, line drives can get into the stands awfully quickly. It can be hard to track a ball into the stands.

 

[rkell87]

I think it's probably too unlikely to worry about, but in her defense, line drives can get into the stands awfully quickly. It can be hard to track a ball into the stands.

i dont disagree with anything you said but if you are paying attention you dont have to track it just duck when it comes in your direction

 

[VietCowboy]

and if you aren't into the game, you should find seats in sections where the likelihood of getting a foul ball is slim to none.

 

[gmoney112]

you'd think that one would go into a ballpark with the small realization that a foul ball to the face would hurt therefore leading to necessary precautions; like actually watching the ball so said ball does not hit you in the face.

what an idiot