Pirates-Giants broadcaster hit by foul ball during interview
No matter where you are in an MLB ballpark, you’ve got to keep your eyes on the action. NBC Sports’ Ahmed Fareed learned that lesson the hard way during the MLB Sunday Leadoff broadcast between the San Francisco Giants and Pittsburgh Pirates.
Fareed was interviewing Pirates general manager Ben Cherington in the fifth inning of Sunday’s game when a foul ball flew into the broadcast booth. You can hear the concern in Fareed’s voice when he realized the ball was heading his direction.
Fortunately, nobody suffered seriously injury as a result of the foul ball. Well … we think.
“I died but everyone else is fine. #BulletDodged.” Fareed wrote on Twitter. We’ll go ahead and say that if he felt well enough to tweet, the injuries were probably minor, despite the self-proclaimed “death.”
When they say “never take your eye off the ball,” they’re not just talking about the players on the field. It applies to fans and broadcasters, as well. We’re guessing that’s a saying Fareed will take a little more seriously from now on, even when he feels safe inside a broadcast booth.
In the actual on-field action, the Giants defeated the Pirates 8-4 in extra innings. San Francisco swept the three-game series against Pittsburgh.
Yankees broadcaster struck by foul ball earlier this MLB season
Broadcasters have been subject to foul balls more frequently this year. Earlier this season, we saw 84-year-old Yankees broadcaster John Sterling take a foul ball to the head during a game against the Boston Red Sox.
Sterling was calling the action when a foul ball found its way into the broadcast booth. Though he appeared to be watching the ball’s trajectory, he couldn’t quite get out of the way fast enough. It bounced off his head, leaving him with a slightly bloodied forehead.
Not to worry, the professional continued to do his job through the end of the game.
Hey, players aren’t the only ones who have to play through the pain. Sometimes, that phrase applies to broadcasters, too.
Sterling’s appeared to be a little more serious than Fareed’s incident, but it ultimately appears that both broadcasters were just fine. But let these two instances serve as a lesson to broadcasters calling MLB games. It’s never safe to take your eyes away from the action, no matter where you’re sitting.
You’re always in a little bit of danger when you’re out at the old ball game.