Chicago Cubs

Tom Ricketts Responds After Fan Hit by Foul Ball at Wrigley Field

The fan was struck in the head by a foul ball and taken off the field in a stretcher

Cubs' owner Tom Ricketts said safety is a priority to the team after a fan was taken off Wrigley Field in a stretcher after she was struck in the head by a foul ball Sunday.

Kyle Schwarber lined a foul ball just beyond the camera well on the first base side, striking the fan. The game was briefly stopped as medics attended to the fan, who was transported to a hospital. Her condition is unknown.

The game went on without further injury, but the incident sparked debate about whether Major League Baseball should do more to ensure fan safety, including adding additional protection against dangerous foul balls.

"Safety is very important to us," Ricketts said Monday. "I think everyone should look at it ... Fan safety is our No. 1 concern so we have to make sure we are doing what we can on that front." 

In July, two consumer rights law firms filed a class action lawsuit against the MLB after several foul balls or broken bats injured spectators. Besides money, the lawsuits also asked that the netting be extended from "foul pole to foul pole" at ballparks.

ESPN legal analyst Lester Munson says the extra netting will likely never be added, however.

"The law is clear," Munson said. "Fans must be on the lookout while the game is being played."

Cubs manager Joe Maddon admitted that Sunday's incident was "awful," but he also chastised fans who don't pay attention to the game.

"It's awful, pay attention," Maddon said. "Those are wonderful seats, probably paying a lot of money for them. I see people turning their back to the action. You can't do it."

Several similar incidents have happened at ballparks across the country this season, including one at Fenway Park in which a Massachusetts woman was seriously injured after she was struck in the head by a broken bat.

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