Los Angeles Dodgers: Yasiel Puig Hits Fan with Souvenir

Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig is no stranger to odd occurrences. He was involved in another one after tossing a ball into the stands that knocked out a fan’s tooth.

Yasiel Puig has been surrounded by controversy this season yet again. After struggling through the first half of the season he was demoted to the minor leagues. This demotion came after the Los Angeles Dodgers explored every possibility of trading the troubled young outfielder with no luck.

Puig didn’t accept his demotion at first but after receiving a second chance with the big league club, he has enjoyed a bit of a resurgence. That doesn’t mean there are no new Puig stories, however. At the end of Monday night’s game against the Yankees in New York, Puig tossed the final out as a souvenir up to the stands. Alyssa Gerharter, a Dodgers fan, wasn’t ready for the ball and had this to say after it hit her in the face:

"“I saw it coming at me and I remember thinking, ‘I don’t have a glove to catch this ball, and I think I put my hands up in front of my face. I saw it was coming at me and registered that it was coming at me, and I felt it hit me. It wasn’t so much painful as it was shock. So I felt it hit me and I could feel immediately with my tongue there’s a hole. And I looked down at my hand and saw there’s a tooth in my hand.”"

You can hardly blame Puig for the incident, but it is still another strange story that has the young outfielder’s name on it. This is also yet another example of how important it is for fans to pay attention and be alert at all times when they are attending ballgames.

While getting hit by a souvenir tossed into the stands is a freak accident, accidents at the ballpark have been happening with regularity in the past few seasons. Players and major league officials have both been adamant that they would like more protection for the fans.

The problem with that is the fans themselves. The majority of fans have been clear about not adding any more netting and being as close to the action as you possibly can. While that is understandable, at some point the customers’ safety may have to be put before what the customer wants.

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In this case however, it was a freak accident that knocked out a tooth after the game had already ended. Keep in mind as you head to your team’s ballpark this week to stay alert and enjoy baseball while it lasts, as only a few more short weeks of the season remain.