Sue Cooney, 64, was at Kauffman Stadium on Opening Day with some good tickets three rows behind the Angels dugout. The only problem is that her seat was close enough that when Torii Hunter shattered his bat she was hit in the face. According to a man who lives with her, Mike Sterrett, she's black and blue in the face and looks like she's been in a bar fight.
"Her cheekbone is fractured and twisted. The floor of her eye socket is also fractured," Sterrett said. "The injuries are very serious. In addition, she had some cuts. Right now, she's taking pain medication and she is feeling better."
These sorts of things unfortunately do happen and it's a risk you assume going to games and sitting close.
The problem with this situation is the Royals response. Cooney claims it was 45 minutes until she got into an ambulance -- the Royals say that's "absolutely" not the case -- and was especially upset to read in the KC Star the next day a Royals rep say she was fine.
"It was a mess. That was the part that made us and the people around us most upset. They didn't do anything. Finally, they loaded her in a wheel chair. Don't get me wrong -- there were some [Royals] people who tried to help. But they were very slow with the response." Sterrett said several people who had been seated nearby called on Friday morning outraged that the Royals had announced she was OK.
With cameras covering just about every inch of the ballpark, it would seem fairly easy to judge the Royals response with some concrete facts. How long was it until the first usher was there? When did the medical personnel first arrive? Was it actually 45 minutes until she was in an ambulance?
The Royals have access to all those answers. If they're happy with their response, they should make public those answers.