Erwin Goldbloom, whose wife, Linda, suffered a fatal brain injury Aug. 25, 2018, when she was struck in the head by a foul ball at Dodger Stadium, told ESPN’s Outside the Lines on Wednesday that the team contacted the family’s attorney last week about a possible moment of silence at a 2019 game. But Goldbloom said he doesn’t want any ceremony unless the Los Angeles Dodgers commit to increased protection at the ballpark.
“We don’t need their sympathy. We want action,” Goldbloom said. “If they agree to make changes to improve safety for fans, then I’ll go down there.”
A team spokesman told OTL on Thursday, “We don’t have anything to announce at this time.”
There was no further contact from the Dodgers, Goldbloom said, after his lawyer conveyed his reaction to the idea of such a tribute. He said that in January the two sides reached an agreement through mediation over his family’s lawsuit seeking damages, but the terms are confidential.
The Goldblooms, married for 59 years, were in the loge-level seats they had for years through a partial season ticket plan when a San Diego Padres batter fouled a ball back to the first-base side of home plate. It soared just over the area protected by netting and hit Linda Goldbloom, who was taken by ambulance to a hospital and died there on Aug. 29, leaving three children and seven grandchildren. She was 79.
The team did not make public what happened. In February, OTL obtained a coroner’s report stating the cause of death as “acute intracranial hemorrhage due to history of blunt force trauma” from the impact of the baseball.
Goldbloom and his daughter Jana Brody shared with OTL two letters they sent last month: one to a senior Major League Baseball official proposing increases in the height of stadiums’ safety netting and the establishment of a fund to aid injured fans and their families, and one to the Major League Baseball Players Association seeking support of such efforts. They said they have not received replies to either letter.
An MLB spokesman told OTL on Thursday, “We received the letter from the Goldbloom family and are aware that the Dodgers have been communicating directly with the family regarding this tragedy.”
Former major leaguer Tony Clark, executive director of the players’ association, said Thursday in a statement to OTL: “Players have for a very long time advocated for increased use of netting and other measures to improve fan safety at games.”
Unlike many Dodgers fans, said Goldbloom, he and his wife didn’t leave games early and were still present in the ninth inning, when the tragic accident occurred.
He said he began attending big league games at age 4, when he was taken to see the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field.
Asked if he envisions going to any more games, Goldbloom said, “Right now, no.”