Accidents can happen to anyone, even Major League Baseball players. While this isn’t the first time something like this has happened, it just might be the saddest. This tragic accident took place on May 29th, when the Chicago Cubs faced the Houston Astros at Yankee Stadium.
Everything was going well until Chicago Cubs batter Albert Almora Jr. stepped up to the plate. A second after hitting that 90mph ball, he knew what was happening, and was unable to stop it. “As soon as I hit it, the first person I locked eyes on was her,” Almora told CBS. The fact that his first concern wasn’t a foul shows his character.
Almora was more than concerned though, he was hysterical, an anxiety attack threatening to shake him to his core. His coach had to go console him as he fell to the ground. Many thought that he wouldn’t be able to continue the game and would need to go on personal leave for a while afterwards.
“Just praying. I’m speechless. I’m at a loss for words. Being a father of two boys,” Almora later said emotionally. It took all he could to do the interview, all he wanted was to see the girl and make sure that she was okay.
You can see the girl in tears, but alert, thankfully, being held by a man that we assume to be the father. She was immediately taken to the hospital. The first breath of relief is that she’s alive. But we are all concerned about the long-term effects.
[caption id="attachment_227763" align="alignnone" width="800"]
[/mgsrc][/caption]After a few minutes break, Almora returned to bat, but was not giving it his all. He kept his composure during that bat, but afterward, he couldn’t hold it together any longer. He went over to check on the girl and broke down again in the arms of the nearest security guard. “God willing, I’ll be able to have a relationship with this little girl for the rest of my life,” Almora states.
[imgsrc caption="YouTube" link="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3QxZ0pEB6Y"]
While the girl was originally thought to be four-years-old, it was later found out she was only two. Her family’s attorney sent out a notice to the Astros saying, “By way of an update, their daughter sustained a skull fracture when she was struck by the foul ball, with associated subdural bleeding, brain contusions and brain edema. She had a seizure and abnormal EEG at the hospital and is now on medication to prevent further seizures while she continues to recover at home. … Her progress will be reassessed in July, and the (family) hope to have more information then about the residual effects of the injuries.”
But that doesn’t mean they are angry with Almora. In fact, they also said, “The family’s foremost concern is about the health of their child, but they also wanted me to extend their thanks to the fans and the Astros for their concern.”
But what is a middle-class family to do with doctor bills? According to the notes on the tickets, all injuries are the sole responsibility of the buyers. The family’s attorney has something to say about that, “I think that fan safety has to be first and foremost, and the issue needs to be addressed as soon as practical. I am confident the Astros will do the right thing and do it, hopefully, in due course.”
Please SHARE this with your friends and family.
