What began as an ordinary night at the Rate Field on Wednesday quickly turned into a scene of panic during the clash between the White Sox and the Royals. Spectators watched in horror as a fan reportedly fell into the bullpen area, bringing the game to a sudden halt.

It happened last year at PNC Park. Then it was about to happen at Busch Stadium a few days ago, and now it has again happened in the Rate Field. Accidents involving over-enthusiastic fans are becoming a common sight in MLB. It’s time that MLB comes up with tighter security measures.

“Fan taken to hospital after falling into bullpen in terrifying scene at White Sox-Royals game,” New York Post Sports reported.

At the bottom of the third, the White Sox scored a run with slugger Chase Meidroth‘s sacrifice fly. That time, a fan was seen tumbling over a rail above the bullpen. He appeared to rise from his seat, looking at the ball. Then, the drama unfolded in the fourth inning when the Royals were trailing 0-3. Just after the Royals’ shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. walked, the game suddenly halted.

Medical personnel were seen rushing onto the Royals’ bullpen, and all eyes were on the right field. Umpire crew chief, Chris Conroy, was seen having words with both the managers, and the stands were left confused without any explanation. It was later revealed that the fan tumbling over the visitor’s bullpen fell.

“From what I’ve heard, the fan was kind of standing up on the edge of the bullpen, and kind of just went over,” Royals reliever Nick Mears said. “Then saw him lying there.”

A video went viral showing medical personnel in the bullpen checking on the fan. After receiving the initial treatment, the fan was seen being taken out on a stretcher. As per the White Sox, the fan was taken to a local hospital, and they are yet to share further updates about his health. “There was a little bit of talk about it in the dugout, but we really had no idea what was going on,” Royals first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino said. “So I don’t know what’s going on now, but I hope the guy is OK.”

Fortunately, the visitor’s bullpen was vacant at that time, or the accident could have involved a few players. The Royals players and staff were seen standing in front of their bullpen as the fan was treated.

However, there are contradictory reports also coming in. A White Sox fan named Zach Kreigler said that the incident happened in the second inning. “He jumped up to celebrate on a double and fell over,” he said. “He just got excited and flipped over. I’ve never seen anything like that in my life. I just hope he’s OK.”

So, we would wait for the final investigation report from the White Sox to conclude about the incident, but it is surely another reminder for increased security measures in the MLB ballparks. “We were talking with the security guard down in the bullpen at the time,” Mears added. “And he said that by the time he got to the hospital, he was in much better condition.”

Hopefully, the fan recovers soon, but time is ticking for revamped security measures.

The Royals-White Sox game is a scary reminder

A few days ago, a fan was saved from falling from the upper tier in Busch Stadium. The fan was seen sitting on the side rail with one of its legs hanging outside. No security was seen, and he was only rescued by a few other fans. A year ago, a fan named Kavan Markwood suffered a broken neck, clavicle, and back, and a punctured lung, as he fell from the upper tier in PNC Park.

Currently, MLB ballparks prioritize fan safety through mandatory, league-wide security measures, including walk-through metal detectors at all entrances, thorough bag inspections, and extended protective netting from foul pole to foul pole.

Moreover, all 30 MLB stadiums extended protective netting to the far ends of the dugouts, with many extending to the foul poles to protect against foul balls and broken bats. There are uniformed law enforcement and security personnel in the ballparks, but maybe they are inadequate. More personnel are needed across all the stands, especially in the upper tier.

Protective netting could also be used to prevent fans from leaning over the side walls. But all these changes need to be done on an immediate basis. Till now, there’s no fatality reported, but scary scenes continue to emerge. The White Sox game served as the latest reminder of the change.