When you’re sitting in the outfield bleachers and Paul Goldschmidt comes to bat, it’s a great idea to pay close attention — especially at a home run-friendly stadium like Great American Ball Park.
The St. Louis Cardinals slugger crushed a home run Tuesday night that traveled an estimated 358 feet. It might have gone another couple of feet, but an unsuspecting fan stopped its flight with his body.
Goldschmidt’s solo shot in the second inning off Cincinnati Reds starter Graham Ashcraft left the bat at 102.9 mph, and as it neared the right-field bleachers, fans could be seen looking for the ball. One man sitting in the front row, however, didn’t pick up the baseball’s flight and it slammed into his left shoulder.
The fan immediately grabbed his shoulder as someone in his party checked on him. Other fans checked to see if he was OK. The Reds did not report an injury.
Paul Goldschmidt went deep for his 9th HR of the season…
…and the ball also incidentally NAILED a fan in the stands
OW.
(h/t @MLB) pic.twitter.com/VpKsde0JqQ
— The Comeback (@thecomeback) May 23, 2023
Great American is known as the most home run-friendly stadium in baseball, and fans in the outfield bleachers know they’ve got a great chance of taking home a souvenir. No one wants to take a brutal blow to the body from a long ball, though.
MLB fans felt the man’s pain.
Fans must be paying attention when Paul Goldschmidt is batting pic.twitter.com/mTuP2EibhJ
— Kramer Sansone
(@KramerTalks) May 23, 2023
Getting drilled in the shoulder by a Paul Goldschmidt home run looks … painful.
pic.twitter.com/ATZPLDlCPf — Dimers Sports Analytics (@DimersCom) May 23, 2023
WANTED: Paul Goldschmidt
Crimes: assault of a Reds fan via home run. https://t.co/1nxPE3DBo9
— /r/Cardinals (@rslashcardinals) May 23, 2023
You should probably be paying attention when Paul Goldschmidt is up to bat.
pic.twitter.com/BIpcQZREjO — Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) May 23, 2023
I would let Paul Goldschmidt kill me. It would be an honor.
— Steve_SportsNC (@EllerMarket) May 23, 2023
SAME
— Kyle Reis, 58% Neanderthal (@kyler416) May 23, 2023