Fan Plunge Incident in Pittsburgh: Examining Safety Protocols Throughout Major League Baseball
Fan Tragedy at Pittsburgh's PNC Park: A Recurring Nightmare
A heart-wrenching incident unfolded at Pittsburgh's PNC Park on Wednesday night, as a spectator tumbled 21 feet off the Clemente Wall, leaving them in critical condition.
Just as Pirates star Andrew McCutchen slapped a two-run double in the seventh inning, putting Pittsburgh ahead 4-3, the unfortunate incident occurred. Kavan Markwood, the victim, was attended to for approximately five minutes by a combination of the Pirates and Cubs medical staff, PNC personnel, and emergency responders, before being transported to the trauma center at Allegheny General Hospital on a cart.
Pittsburgh Public Safety, including the police and emergency medical services, confirmed that the incident was being treated as accidental.
This harrowing occurrence brings back memories of similar accidents at other major league stadiums, such as Arlington, Texas, in 2011 and Atlanta in 2015.
Let's delve into some safety measures instituted by MLB and its teams to prevent such unfortunate events:
The Question of Height: Ballpark Railings
The height of railings at ballparks is a team decision based on local laws and codes. The railing surrounding the Clemente Wall at PNC Park is 36 inches tall, which surpasses the building code requirement of 26 inches according to Pirates vice president of communications Brian Warecki.
Height requirements have come under scrutiny in the past, leading to changes in rail heights at certain ballparks. For example, after a fatal fall at their former ballpark in 2011, the Texas Rangers raised the height of the front-row rails by as much as 12 inches to 42 inches[4]. In 2018, the Atlanta Braves settled a lawsuit with the family of a fan who died after falling from their stadium’s upper deck three years earlier. The victim fell over a railing that was only 30 inches tall when industry code standards mandated a height of 26 inches or higher[4].
Protecting Fans from Foul Balls: Extending Netting
In the past, foul ball netting in many ballparks only separated fans and the field directly behind home plate. However, after several incidents where fans were hospitalized by foul balls in 2015, MLB encouraged teams to extend netting to run from dugout-to-dugout behind home plate. By 2018, all 30 ballparks had netting reaching to the far ends of each dugout[4][5].
Following a critical incident in Houston in 2019, where a toddler was hospitalized after being struck by a foul ball, seven teams expanded their protective netting to the foul poles. Fifteen other teams expanded their netting generally to the area in the outfield where the stands begin to angle away from the field[4].
Managing Alcohol Consumption: A Touchy Topic
MLB does not mandate alcohol sales cut-off times, but most clubs have historically stopped selling alcohol around the end of the seventh inning. After new rules aimed at increasing the pace of play resulted in shorter game times in 2023, some teams extended alcohol sales to the end of the eighth inning. However, due to safety concerns, many of those teams have reverted back to the seventh-inning cutoff[4].
Stay tuned for updates as the league continues to grapple with balancing fan safety, stadium design, and operational policies.
[[ source ]]: The Associated Press - https://apnews.com/hub/MLB
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- After the unfortunate incident at Pittsburgh's PNC Park, discussions about fan safety in sports venues have been rekindled, particularly regarding the height of railings and the extension of protective netting.
- Following a critical incident in Seattle, some teams have expanded their protective netting to the foul poles, mirroring the safety measures implemented after incidents at other major league stadiums such as Arlington and Atlanta.
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- In light of the harrowing incident at PNC Park and the subsequent focus on fan safety, MLB teams have been reviewing their alcohol consumption policies, with some extending sales to the end of the eighth inning, but reverting back due to safety concerns.
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