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MLB Broadcaster O.K. After Suffering Scary Foul Ball Injury in Booth During Game

Kristen Wong

General view of American Family Fields stadium, spring training home of the Milwaukee Brewers, following Major League Baseball's decision to suspend all spring training games on March 12, 2020 in Phoenix, Arizona. The decision was made due to concerns of the ongoing Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.
General view of American Family Fields stadium, spring training home of the Milwaukee Brewers, following Major League Baseball's decision to suspend all spring training games on March 12, 2020 in Phoenix, Arizona. The decision was made due to concerns of the ongoing Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. / Photo by Ralph Freso/Getty Images
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Being an MLB announcer has its own workplace hazards, too.

A scary moment occurred during MLB spring training when Seattle Mariners radio broadcaster Rick Rizzs was suddenly hit by a foul ball while in the booth for Monday’s Cactus League game against the Milwaukee Brewers.

The incident happened in the fifth inning of the Mariners’ 7-5 loss, when Brewers’ Rhys Hoskins fouled off a 1-2 fastball and sent the ball hurtling backward. The ball soared over the net at American Family Fields of Phoenix and toward the Mariners’ visiting radio booth, where Rizzs and broadcasting partner Gary Hill were sitting.

Rizzs could be heard saying, “A swing and a foul,” on the radio call before getting hit in the head by the foul ball, leading to what sounded like grunts of pain from the longtime Mariners broadcaster.

Here’s audio of the scary moment: 

Thankfully, Rizzs didn’t sustain any major injuries and will reportedly be back on the call on Wednesday when the Mariners play the Kansas City Royals.

“Folks, I want to let you know that I took a pretty good shot to the back of my head with a foul ball up here in the radio booth,” Rizzs said on the air after getting checked out by medical staff. “I got a good-sized bump on my head, but I’m going to be O.K. My mom always said I’ve had a hard head, Gary, so it paid off today. I could not believe that ball got up here that quickly.”

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Kristen Wong
KRISTEN WONG

Kristen Wong is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. She has been a sports journalist since 2020. Before joining SI in November 2023, Wong covered four NFL teams as an associate editor with the FanSided NFL Network and worked as a staff writer for the brand’s flagship site. Outside of work, she has dreams of running her own sporty dive bar.

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