MILWAUKEE _ Umpire Joe West was struck in the back of his head by a ball coming from the stands during the Milwaukee Brewers' game against the Miami Marlins at Miller Park on Friday night.
FOX Sports Florida shared the aftermath and a replay of the incident on social media.
The incident delayed the game for seven minutes in the bottom of the fourth inning.
West, the crew chief, was umpiring first base and was stationed down the line as the Brewers' Domingo Santana was batting with one out and a runner on first. Suddenly, the game was halted as West was struck by the baseball and he walked toward the Brewers' dugout, looking into the stands.
West conferred with security guards as they tried to locate the person who threw the baseball. There was no word from the Brewers on whether the culprit was found, and play resumed after the delay.
It was the second incident of fan misbehavior at Miller Park in June. In a game against the San Francisco Giants on June 8, a fan ran onto the field naked from the waist down and headed toward visiting shortstop Brandon Crawford. That fan was tackled by security guards and arrested.
Social media quickly reacted, commenting on how the incident reflected poorly on Miller Park fans.
Some defended Milwaukee and said it was out of character for Brewers fans, though it has not been confirmed that it was a Brewers fan who threw the ball.
Many defended the umpire and said the incident was inappropriate, even if Joe West is not their favorite MLB umpire.
