A Philadelphia Phillies fan got more than she bargained for on Monday, June 18, while watching her hometown team take on the St. Louis Cardinals at Citizens Bank Park.
Kathy McVay was seated behind home plate when the Phillies mascot – the Phanatic – drove out onto the field armed with his hot dog launcher and began sending hot dogs flying into the crowd. Unfortunately one of the stadium snacks, which was wrapped in duct tape to keep if from falling apart, struck McVay in the head.
“It just came out of nowhere. And hard,” McVay told Philadelphia’s WPVI. In fact, the impact was so strong that it knocked McVay’s glasses off of her face, hitting her “like a ton of bricks.” She was unable to catch or deflect the flying food because she is recovering from a shoulder injury.
After the incident, McVay paid a visit to the emergency room for a CAT scan to make sure she didn’t suffer a concussion. Though concussion-free, McVay did sustain a small hematoma in her eye and needs to ice her facial injury every 20 minutes.
While her outing to see the Phillies certainly didn’t go as planned, McVay said she has no intention of pursuing legal action against the Phanatic or the Phillies organization. She does, however, have some sound advice for fans seated in the stands. “Just to be aware, because you never know. I understand a baseball, but not a hot dog,” she warned.
Thankfully, McVay has maintained a sense of humor throughout this whole hot dog debacle, and she doesn’t mind if others find it funny, too. “It gives people a good laugh, and if that makes somebody chuckle, then that’s fine,” she said.
On Tuesday, June 19, the Phillies apologized to McVay for the incident and offered her tickets to another game once she recovers.
