Cardinals groundskeeper hit in head by errant ceremonial first pitch

Lucas Hackmann may want to ask for a raise.

Hackmann is a groundskeeper for the St. Louis Cardinals, and while his name may not ring a bell, you likely saw him last year.

During a Royals' game in St. Louis, a cat ran onto the field at Busch Stadium. It was Hackmann who captured the cat, which sank its nails into Hackmann, whose hand was bloodied. On the pitch after the cat was removed, Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina hit a grand slam.

So yeah, you remember "Rally Cat," right?

On Sunday, there was another incident involving Hackmann.

He had helped put the finishing touches on the field behind home plate when the ceremonial first pitch was being thrown. The pitch was juuuust a bit outside. Well, actually it was well off the mark and hit Hackmann in the head.

Take a look:

This story was originally published July 2, 2018 at 8:13 AM.