Fan beaned at Jays game to get ball signed by Bo Bichette
Liz McGuire's love for the Toronto Blue Jays began young, with a childhood picture of herself decked out in "Jays regalia." As an adult, she now has another Jays-related image memorializing her fandom: taking a foul ball to the face.
McGuire attends as many Toronto Blue Jays games as she can. That includes a game this past weekend, where a ball, off the bat of Bo Bichette, connected with McGuire at an estimated speed of 177 km/h.
In photos she posted to X, formerly Twitter, McGuire can be seen with a baseball-sized lump above her right eye and a dark black eye.
"I got my face mashed in … I didn't even get the ball," she joked online.
But on Tuesday afternoon, she said she doesn't actually want the ball that hit her.
"That ball has no joy in it … that's a mean ball," she said.
McGuire spoke with CBC Toronto outside the Rogers Centre Tuesday, at which point her forehead swelling was significantly less visible.
"I feel worse but I look better," McGuire said. "I feel like trash."
Baseball cards to feature McGuire with bump on forehead
McGuire is now set to receive 110 baseball cards with her picture on them and a signed ball from Bichette, the Blue Jays shortstop.
Collectible cards company Topps said it will send the custom cards to McGuire. Topps said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, that it produced 110 copies of the card that show McGuire with an enormous bump on her forehead above her right eye.
Meanwhile, McGuire says she plans to pick up the Bichette-signed ball on Wednesday, when the Jays take on the Chicago White Sox.
She also says she's hoping to channel the public attention into fundraising for a "kids' concussion charity."
"Getting rocked in the head is real," McGuire told CBC Toronto.
In an emailed statement, the Blue Jays said medics attended to the fan immediately after the incident, and that there is netting in place for baseball games that protects some fans from being struck by foul balls.
"Fan safety is a priority and the Blue Jays have numerous precautions in place to ensure a safe environment for all fans at the ballpark," the statement said.
"The Blue Jays followed up with the fan and invited her to be our guest at an upcoming game and offered her a signed ball from Bo Bichette."
McGuire encouraged more people to come out to watch the Jays play.
"You can get rocked pretty fast, but at the same time it's like wild things happen, you know," she said.
"Maybe bring a glove and be ready."
