Usually a seat behind the screen in foul territory is a safe place for a baseball fan to sit. That hasn't been the case lately at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, especially if your name is George W. Bush or Nolan Ryan.
Perhaps it's something that accompanies the "president" label, but the former U.S. president and the Rangers team president were both nearly beaned by foul pop-ups in a span of roughly 24 hours.
Sitting in the first row along the first base line, right where the backstop screen ends, Bush was nearly plunked as Chicago White Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski charged towards him in pursuit of the foul ball. The ball landed just out of Pierzynski's reach — inches away from the nation's 43rd president and his wife, Laura. Bush and Pierzynski shared a laugh about the play right after.
Check out the video of the close encounter below.
Ryan, who twirled seven no-hitters in his illustrious career, was nearly struck on Tuesday while conducting a live interview. Fortunately, he was able to not only avoid being hit, but he shared his views of what had just happened with the television audience.
