Kaiser Carlile, 9-Year-Old Batboy, Dies After Getting Hit In Head By Batter’s Swing

Kaiser Carlile, a bat boy for the Kansas summer league team the Liberal Bee Jays, has died at age 9 after getting struck in the head when a batter was warming up.

Kaiser Carlile, 9-Year-Old Batboy, Dies

Carlile was running to fetch a bat during a National Baseball Congress World Series game on Saturday, when a batter on-deck and taking warm-up swings accidentally hit him in the head. Carlile, who was wearing a helmet, was rushed to a local hospital, where he later died of his injuries Sunday.

“Right before he fell, the umpire and the base player both rushed up and caught him before he hit the ground,” witness Malachi Lingg told KWCH. “They caught him and just set him on the ground and they all clustered around him quickly. It was really silent. Everybody was quiet. I think they were all really sad because it was a really small boy.”

The National Baseball Congress has released a statement to address Carlile’s tragic death.

“The National Baseball Congress has experienced tragedy many times in 84 years, however, it’s difficult to remember a day that is darker than this one,” the organization’s statement read. “On Sunday, we lost a member of our family and it will hurt for a very long time. With heavy hearts, we send our thoughts, prayers and condolences to the Carlile family and Bee Jays organization.”

“Sometimes life doesn’t make sense and this accident certainly is a memorable example. Kaiser was simply doing something he loved. He was simply doing a job most kids across America dream of having for one night or multiple summers,” the statement continued. “That’s the part that makes us all wonder “why” and while it may never be answered, now is the time to support the city of Liberal, the BJ’s organization and Kaiser’s family.”

The statement concluded, “The NBC and the NBC World Series looks forward to honoring Kaiser in the near future. During this tragic and emotional time, may God bless Kaiser and his baseball family.”

Additionally, the National Baseball Congress has suspended the use of batboys and batgirls for the rest of the Wichita-based World Series.