The scene during the seventh inning of the Braves 14-4 win against the Colorado Rockies was both extremely surprising and incredibly scary. Braves right fielder and MVP candidate Ronald Acuña Jr. was rushed by not one, but two fans as he was standing on the field, with one of them managing to tackle Acuña to the ground. Security promptly intervened and the fans were escorted out.
Initial reports had it as three fans.
Acuña wasn’t hurt and he continued playing in the Braves win, but the image of multiple people rushing the star player should not be taken lightly. This is, of course, not the first time a fan has gotten onto the field or attempted to approach a player, but hardly has the MLB ever seen multiple fans actually reach a player and take him to the ground.
In a post-game interview, Acuña gave context to the incident. “I was a little scared at first,” Acuña said through an interpreter, before adding that the fans weren’t trying to hurt him. “I think the fans were out there and asking for pictures. I really couldn’t say anything because at that point, security was already there and everything’s OK. We’re all OK, and I hope they’re OK.”
But the lesson here isn’t all is well that ends well. Instead, it’s one about guaranteeing security for the players who are out there doing their job. Ronald Acuña Jr. is fine, he’s still on his way to a record no one else in MLB has achieved, and perhaps to the National League MVP. But fans shouldn’t be able to jump onto the field in the middle of the game, to ask for pictures or for any other reason.
Atlanta manager Brian Snitker said it best. “You don’t want to see that happen, I know that. You don’t know what they will do when they get out there. It’s a scary situation.”
Ronald Acuña’s Atlanta Braves play the Colorado Rockies once again tonight at 8:40 ET.