Chicago Cubs Fan From Iowa Spared Serious Injury at Wrigley Field
What started out as a great night last week for an Iowa family at Wrigley Field turned into sheer terror. It was Tuesday, July 24 that 20-year-old Kyle McAleer of Scranton, Iowa went to a Chicago Cubs game with his mom, dad, sister, and two others. When the Cubs fell behind, Kyle joined other members of the party by putting on "rally caps." Kyle's may have saved his life.
It all started off great with Kyle sitting in the bleachers for the first time ever, despite annual trips to Wrigley.
When the Cubs fell behind 4-1, it was time to bring back a tradition. Kyle and other members of the group put on plastic Double Bubble "rally caps," as a tribute to former Cubs player Starlin Castro who wore them during the 2015 season.
Then, as the Cubs were warming up in the field for the start of the sixth inning, a 6-inch, 4-pound pipe fell several feet from the Wrigley Field scoreboard. It hit McAleer on the top of the head, forcing the bucket down over his face and knocking off his glasses. After he removed the bucket from his head, blood flowed. Kyle told the Bee Herald,
I've never seen that much blood before. It looked like a horror film.
A large cut had been opened by the pipe and Kyle's mother asked for other fans for napkins to help with the bleeding. One fan provided a Chicago Cubs towel prior to paramedics arriving.
Kyle was transported by ambulance to a hospital, with his dad along for the ride. Five staples closed the wound. The Cubs gave him a Javier Baez bobblehead, a ball that Baez signed, a Cubs jersey, and the promise of the VIP treatment at a future Cubs game.
Chicago lost the game to Arizona that night 5-1, but sometimes losing isn't the worst thing. Who knows, it may have saved Kyle McAleer's life.