22 Replies to “Should baseball teams taser fans?”

  1. On the whole I would say no..But its a Philly(Phillies) fan. I am really surprised the team isn’t using rubber bullets on them.

  2. Ha – pretty good about the Phillies fan!

    But no, they shouldn’t – and the team should face at least a 7-figure civil penalty. Gimme a break, they coulda killed that stupid-ass kid in front of 40,000 people….idiot Philadelphians.

  3. Anyone notice security wearing blue and not Phillie Red, conspiracy…no it is not good to taser a fan but those security guards looked to really have no chance of catching that guy

  5. Agreed with BPALM. It wasn’t an immediate reaction, more a “Oops, we’re not quite catching him, better nail him.” Sort of a resisting arrest type thing. Might have had an issue if they tasered him right off as the first reaction.

    He’s not gonna get killed by a taser, and the team was within their rights for sure.

  6. There’s actually a very decent chance of death by taser:
    Death by Taser.
    Bottom line – it should be used rarely and considered semi-lethal force. It should not be used on drunks by lazy (Philadelphia!) security goons.

  7. “very decent” is an extreme exaggeration. I’m not going to debate the idea of excessive taser use or any of that.

    The fan was tresspassing and resisting arrest, and a potential risk to millions of dollars of investments. (So the guards were lazy, or was the guy has a little swifter at evading them on a big open field?) They tried to corral him, he kept evading, so they tasered him. Maybe that’ll be a lesson to the next guy. There is no excuse for that behavior.

  8. Security guards have caught tons of people who have run on the field throughout the years without resorting to tasering. It may have been a dumb move for the guy to run on the field, but it seems like the use of tasers has gotten out of control.

    1. About a month ago we were talking about comments sections and some folks were observing how certain other blogs don’t respond to comments.

      I can only speak for myself, but today is a good example. I said what I have to say and I’m enjoying the other comments. I found the Posada comment interesting but what’s really the point of me replying and saying “interesting.”. But then I find it odd to be a lurker on my own site.

      1. Posada’s comment was interesting, but really it was just nothing. He’s a US citizen, so it doesn’t probably affect him as much.

        I don’t think whether or not tasers have gotten out of control is the relevant discussion here, specifically. The fan went onto the field, and then evaded arrest. You’re issued things like tasers with the purpose of using them in that situation. They could’ve chased him around some more too, maybe tackled him and hurt him. Maybe he turns around and tries to hurt someone. who knows. Once you resist, it’s a bit late to complain about how you’ve been treated.

        1. Well, you agree with Mike Francesa – a dangerous place to be!

          Maybe they shoulda just shot the guy, after all he was endangering millions of dollars of property. Ok, I’m being facetious, but I’m really shocked anyone thinks a baseball team’s security people should be carrying high-voltage stun guns.

          And maybe if they don’t taser him, he takes out Utley’s hammie – ok, sorry, facetious again!

          1. Unfortunately, the Phillies don’t have Jim Fowler on the field with a dart gun while Marlin Perkins talks to Charlie Manuel in the Dugout, so they have to use the most expedient non-violent method to subdue this guy they have at hand.

        2. LOL @ Michael, but it’s true.

          To me, the key thing is that they used it as a MEANS TO subdue the guy, which is exactly its purpose. If they’d zapped him under the stands 5 minutes later, sure, that would be abuse, but if you run out onto the field and away from security, you do so with the knowledge that something unpleasant is going to happen to you. If it wasn’t this, it was going to be somebody nearly breaking him in half with a tackle.

          The time for the dad to worry about his son’s well-being was before the little douchebag starting making such dumb decisions.

  14. Question, (semi-facetious because I don’t believe in the “Tv/Video games made him do it” argument)

    But does the new era(think it’s New Era) commercial where the guy runs onto the field to give pitching advice to Cole Hamels encourage this stuff?

  16. I think the 1st base coach that got jumped in Chicago a few years back wished they had a taser then. Only 2 ‘safe choices’ are Taser and rubber bullets which could miss and hit a fan. Tase any fan on the field every time and it stops. Also, when you are done, give him 6 months and a felony arrest. What used to be funny ie. Morganna or a 70’s streaker, is now dangerous. Make the penalty for doing strong enough to stop it.

    1. Fitz your arrest scenario is interesting. I agree that running on the field is not something that accidentally happens

      A taser seems extreme. Next step is those beanbag guns.

      We have talked a lot about idiot behvior this season and it is only May.

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