The recent death of 60-year-old Gregory Murrey after falling over an upper deck railing at Turner Field has raised awareness of one of dangers of the modern large-capacity ballparks. While fans have died from falls in the past, it’s really been in the last 50 years that there has been a spike in such fatalities. And with good reason: today’s mega-stadiums are much larger and higher than those in earlier decades. What follows is a list of these fatalities from 1969 to the present, including suicides.
| 8/5/1969 | Memorial Stadium, Baltimore | George Shramek, 24 | Jumped from upper deck during batting practice |
| 7/22/1971 | Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh | Gary Pettitt, 22 | Fell while jumping from one exit ramp to another |
| 8/24/1971 | Veterans Stadium, Philadelphia | Glenn Shober, 37 | Fell through opening where left field scoreboard was lowered when not in use |
| 4/18/1972 | Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh | Joseph Farrell, 17 | Fell while jumping from one exit ramp to another |
| 8/29/1979 | Olympic Stadium, Montreal | Michel Bergeron, 28 | Climbed a glass wall and fell 10 feet into the visitor’s bullpen |
| 7/13/1980 | Shea Stadium, New York | Bruce Winick, 28 | Jumped from 5th mezzanine level to street below after arguing with a friend |
| 7/19/1982 | Riverfront Stadium, Cincinnati | Lora Schneeman, 21 | Fell 35 feet from the upper deck to first row of lower level seats |
| 6/6/1984 | Candlestick Park, San Francisco | Anthony Perry, 30 | Fell from upper deck while yelling at the Giants as they left the field after a loss |
| 5/1/1985 | Shea Stadium, New York | Mark Leddy, 21 | Fell while sliding down the rail of an escalator |
| 5/16/1986 | Comiskey Park, Chicago | Edward Joyce, 53 | Fell while sitting on upper deck railing |
| 4/24/1989 | Shea Stadium, NY | Norine Cusick, 46 | Committed suicide by climbing to the top of a 120 foot foul pole and jumping while stadium was empty |
| 4/27/1989 | Royals Stadium, Kansas City | Mike Wurzer, 20 | Tried to do handstand while walking down aisle and flipped over upper deck railing |
| 8/13/1991 | SkyDome, Toronto | Kenneth Piery, 39 | Fell seven stories while jumping from ramp to ramp |
| 8/13/1993 | Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh | Clifford Toolerton, 75 | Fell down stairs while walking to his seat |
| 4/25/1999 | Yankee Stadium, New York | Francisco Munoz, 37 | Fell while riding on escalator hand rail |
| 9/17/2003 | Pacific Bell Park, San Francisco | Todd Adams, 35 | Fell over railing 25 feet to sidewalk outside of park |
| 7/29/2004 | Miller Park, Milwaukee | James Kolata, 48 | Fell while riding on escalator hand rail |
| 4/15/2008 | Shea Stadium, New York | Antonio Nararainsami, 36 | Fell while sliding down escalator hand rail |
| 5/21/2008 | Turner Field, Atlanta | Justin Hayes, 25 | Fell while sliding down stair railing |
| 5/14/2010 | Miller Park, Milwaukee | Stuart Springstube, 51 | Fell over railing while reaching for a batted ball during batting practice. 15-foot fall resulted in his death from brain hemorrhage three weeks later |
| 5/25/2011 | Coors Field, Denver | Robert Seamans, 27 | Fell while sliding down stair railing |
| 7/7/2011 | Rangers Ballpark, Arlington | Shannon Stone, 39 | Fell over railing while attempting to catch a foul ball |
| 8/12/2013 | Turner Field | Ronald Homer, 30 | Fell over upper deck railing into the players parking lot; Was ruled a suicide |
| 8/29/2015 | Turner Field | Gregory Murrey, 60 | Fell from upper deck in the stands behind home plate |
Death at the Ballpark - The Blog 
Saw Anthony Perry fall from upper deck near home plate from the bleachers after giants just lost again during lasting losing streak. As I walked out after game towards home plate (originally thought it was for some reason a sleeping bag thrown over) I noticed a man with a bleeding head and thought that’s what hit him but then noticed the unfolding tragedy of a man corkscrewed face first into the down concrete stairs towards the field while breaking the red seating chair to the left which probably ricochet and hit the other man in the head whose was bleeding. There was a man checking the pulse of Anthony who was still alive and in a pool of blood and while standing on a chair I said I saw what happened and within moments a kfrc mike is right in front of my face and I thought better say something cause this was a moment of reality and I said this was a tragedy. As I drovehome I heard wild horses by the stones and dedicated that song to Anthony Perry. And today 37 years later I hear the wild horses song and search for what happened in 1984 and cried tears for Anthony because reality came back.
By: Mark David on October 19, 2021
at 7:09 am