Dominic DiAngi Released From Hospital After Foul Ball Injury at Wrigley Field

The danger of sitting close to the field in baseball has never been more prevalent than on a Thursday afternoon in Chicago.

On the back of your ticket to most sporting events (and especially in baseball), you'll find a disclaimer saying that the team is not responsible for injuries resulted from foul balls or any other equipment that happens to end up in the seats.

Well, just over a week ago, during a day game against the Cincinnati Reds, Chicago Cubs pitcher Ted Lilly was at the plate.  He hit a screaming foul ball that went into the third row near third base.

Sitting in that seat was Dominic DiAngi, a seven-year-old boy attending his first baseball game.

The ball careened off his head, and Dominic was immediately knocked unconscious.

Once he reached the hospital, the doctors decided to medically induce a coma in order to regulate his breathing.

Before knowing exactly what the prognosis would be, Lilly and Cubs first baseman Derrek Lee visited him on Saturday, two days after the incident.  They took with them multiple pieces of Cubs memorabilia and souvenirs signed by Lilly and his teammates. 

On Tuesday, Dominic left the hospital.  He's smiling now.  Doctors say he should have no lasting complications from the fractured skull and swelling of the brain. 

All's well that ends well, right?

I have a serious problem with this story.  I'm mad because the story isn't being told.  Sports is so full of problems right now with the referee scandal in the NBA, steroids in MLB, EPO ruining the Tour de France.

Yes, this is a sad story, but it also shows the good in people and in sports.

Remember that foul ball?  Another fan found that ball and got it to Dominic's father.  During his stay in the hospital, he refused to let go of it.  Lilly and Lee didn't have to visit him, but they did.  No one told them to.

His father told us he "lives, eats and breathes baseball."  Even though a baseball almost ended all three of those for Dominic, because of the visit and the foul ball and possibly even the care package sent by the Cubs, this kid will come back. 

So the next time you complain about hearing a Brett Favre or Barry Bonds story, think about the tale of Dominic DiAngi.