Falling letter hits baseball fan

Baseball fans have long been warned to look out for foul balls and flying bats.

Now add falling letters to the list.

A fan at the Toronto Blue Jays' game was OK today (NZ time) after being struck in the right shoulder by a tumbling, metal "B" from a sign honouring Jackie Robinson.

The middle-aged man had a scrape after a foul ball by home run leader Jose Bautista of the Blue Jays dislodged one of the letters in a tribute honoring Robinson's retired No. 42.

The letter fell about 10 metres from the facing of the third deck behind home plate in the seventh inning of the Texas-Toronto game. The letter rolled down the aisle and was picked up by another fan in the front row.

"I was very surprised, because I didn't expect a 'B' to fall on me," said the injured fan, who gave only his first name as Ian and said he was a season-ticket holder from Toronto.

Although he was sore, the fan said the injury wouldn't prove too serious; he throws left-handed.

- AP