Perrotto: Some Reactions to Injured Pirates Fan Disturbing

Some things about social media are great.

It’s fun to banter with fans and learn what they are thinking. A lot of the interactions are thought-provoking, and sometimes informational. I try to interact with those fans and have some fun with them.

Then, there are other things I hate about social media. And they have been on display since Wednesday night.

A 20-year-old fan flipped over the railing in front of the stands above the 21-foot Clemente Walk in right field at PNC Park during the Pittsburgh Pirates’ 4-3 victory over the Chicago Cubs. He fell onto the warning track, was tended to by medics, removed from the field on a cart, and rushed by ambulance to Allegheny General Hospital in critical condition.

It was a sobering scene, and my first thought was that I hoped the young man would survive such a terrible fall. I assumed that would be the first thought of anyone in the ballpark or watching the game on television.

Hoo-boy, was I wrong. The first time I checked my social media feeds after the incident, I was shocked by some posts.

One fan said he hoped the guy died because that’s what he deserved. Another poster claimed that it had to be attempted suicide, and hoped the young man succeeded. Yet another conspiracy theorist suggested the fan was pushed over the railing.

Most social media users stayed positive, praying for the man and expressing positive thoughts. However, the other stuff left me stunned.

Maybe I’m out of touch with the world. I give everyone the benefit of the doubt that they are good people until proven otherwise. Perhaps that is antiquated thinking in 2025.

Pittsburgh Public Safety ruled the incident an accident and closed the case. Yet that wasn’t enough to keep some people on social media from accusing the police of aiding the Pirates in a cover-up of potential safety violations.

What a bunch of baloney. The Pirates do many things wrong, but I’ve never had anyone tell me they felt unsafe at PNC Park since the facility opened in 2001.

According to the PNC Park architect of record, the railings above the Clemente Wall measure 36 inches, far exceeding the current code requirements of 26 inches.

Regardless of what some keyboard cowboys–or perhaps keyboard cowards–say on social media, I’m praying that Kavan Markwood pulls through.

There were eyewitness reports that he was intoxicated, and that’s unsettling. That he is 20 years old, a year short of legal drinking age, is also problematic and will likely lead to legal repercussions for whoever provided the alcohol.

Yet by all accounts, Markwood is a good kid who overcame losing his parents and a brother to become the South Allegheny High School football team’s MVP in 2021. Administrators and coaches at the school have spoken glowingly about Markwood’s character.

A lot of 20-year-olds do stupid things from time to time. I can attest to that as I work with people that age as the student advisor for RMU Sentry Media at Robert Morris University.

I love those students. They are good people with bright futures. Sometimes, though, they do stuff that makes me shake my head.

I did a lot of dumb stuff when I was 20. I still do a lot of dumb stuff 41 years later.

Everyone should wish Kavan Markwood the best instead of hoping for the worst or making up ridiculous conspiracy theories.

That anyone would think otherwise is disturbing.