A member of the Reds grounds crew falls underneath the tarp during a weather delay.Photo:Dylan Buell/Getty
Dylan Buell/Getty
Who knew that laying a tarp across a baseball field could be so hazardous?
Footage posted in an NBC Sports Bay Area tweet showed the grounds crew running as they covered the infield with the tarp. However, during the sprint, one of the crew members falls and then disappears underneath the covering. Most of the other crew members do not see their fallen comrade and continue to blanket the baseball diamond.
The clip from the Twitter post has generated over 230,000 views as of Tuesday afternoon, and the scene of the downed man promoted an excited response from Hunter Pence, a Giants analyst for theNBC Sports Bay Areabroadcast.
Members of the grounds crew pull the tarp across the field during a rain delay in the fifth inning of the game between the San Diego Padres and Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on July 01, 2021 in Cincinnati, Ohio.Dylan Buell/Getty
A close-up showed the crew member moving about and trying to break free underneath the tarp. Fortunately, he was able to extricate himself.
That wasn’t the only drama associated with the rain delay at the game. TheCincinnati Enquirerreported that when the crew unfolded the tarp, they hadn’t put down stakes, causing a part of it to be lifted up from the ground due to heavy wind.
Thankfully, Cincinnati Reds Vice President of Ballpark Operations Sean Brown was there to help, using his body as a human stake as he held down a piece of the tarp.
Sadak later added: “That man right there saved the tarp from getting unfurled and folded over. And if these winds pick up the way the radar indicates it might, they might’ve had trouble getting it back on. That is Sean Brown clinging to life. And legitimately, that can be really scary. If you’ve ever pulled a tarp, those things are heavy.”
Not only was Brown able to finally stake that part of the tarp, but the broadcast showed him emerging unscathed and with a bit of a smile on his face.
The game was ultimatelysuspendeddue to the rain, with the Giants and the Reds tied 2-2.
source: people.com
