Unauthorized Drone Delays MLB Game

Unauthorized Drone Delays MLB Game

Professional sports in general is having a rough go of it in 2020. For that matter, so are college athletes and when you get right down to it, most Americans and the worldwide population is struggling with COVID-19.

That is not the only thing bothering major league baseball recently.

Last night’s game between the (Minnesota) Twins and (Pittsburg) Pirates was delayed not by rain, but an unauthorized drone flying over Target Field. The game was delayed nine minutes. The incursion happened during the top of the fifth inning with the home team in the field, and leading the game 5-1. Jose Berrios was on the mound for the Twins.

“That was really crazy. I’ve never seen that before,” Berrios told reporters after the game. “In my mind, I said: ‘Really? That has to happen right now when I’m pitching?’ I just tried to keep focused.”

A funny thing happened on the way to the bullpen. Relief pitchers in the pen tried to hit the drone with baseballs, but could not strike it out of the sky. Umpires talked with team managers and MLB security staff. Before long, the drone departed.

“Definitely a 2020 moment right there,” Twins Manager Rocco Baldelli said.

Unmanned drones are prohibited from flying within three nautical miles of any MLB stadium. It is not lawful for an unauthorized person to shoot the drone from the sky, but nothing is unlawful about baseballs being thrown at the unmanned aircraft.

The unauthorized flight is being investigated by MLB and Minneapolis police.

“Under FAA rules, Target Field is restricted airspace during a game,” said Matt Hoy, Twins senior vice president of operations. “It was just a small drone, and hopefully just a fan wanting to take pictures, but for security reasons, MLB doesn’t allow any drones around the park.”

Drone pilots can be fined by the government. In 2016, a Vice investigation found that the punishments vary widely. Most of the violators discovered by Vice were fined between $1,100 and $2,200, though the FAA offered to settle for much less “if it receives pushback” in the form of an appeal by the pilot.

In May 2014, Vice found, a man was fined $1,100 for flying a drone over New York Mets, Citi Field. The fine was reduced to $500. That same year, a man flew a drone over Texas Memorial Stadium during a college-football game between Texas and North Texas, resulting in a $1,100 fine that eventually was reduced to $800. Before an Alabama-Mississippi State football game in November 2015, a man flew a drone that “descended into a parking lot and struck a pedestrian just before it fell to the ground.” His fine of $1,100 was reduced to $900.

In May 2017, a drone flew over a Padres-Diamondbacks game in San Diego and crashed into fans in the stands, where one fan got a peculiar souvenir:

In 2015, at the U.S. Open tennis tournament in New York, a man lost control of the drone he was piloting and it crashed into a bank of empty seats during a women’s singles match at Louis Armstrong Stadium. NYPD charged a Brooklyn science teacher with reckless endangerment, a misdemeanor, and two violations involving unlawful operation of a drone.

About the Author

Ralph C. Jensen is the Publisher/Editor in chief of Security Today magazine.

Featured

  • Security Today Announces The Govies Government Security Award Winners for 2025

    Security Today is pleased to announce the 2025 winners in The Govies Government Security Awards. The awards honor outstanding government security products in a variety of categories. Read Now

  • Survey: 60 Percent of Organizations Using AI in IT Infrastructure

    Netwrix, a cybersecurity provider focused on data and identity threats, today announced the release of its annual global 2025 Cybersecurity Trends Report based on a global survey of 2,150 IT and security professionals from 121 countries. It reveals that 60% of organizations are already using artificial intelligence (AI) in their IT infrastructure and 30% are considering implementing AI. Read Now

  • New Research Reveals Global Video Surveillance Industry Perspectives on AI

    Axis Communications, the global industry leader in video surveillance, has released its latest research report, ‘The State of AI in Video Surveillance,’ which explores global industry perspectives on the use of AI in the security industry and beyond. The report reveals current attitudes on AI technologies thanks to in-depth interviews with AI experts from Axis’ global network and a comprehensive survey of more than 5,800 respondents, including distributors, channel partners, and end customers across 68 countries. The resulting insights cover AI integration and the opportunities and challenges that exist with regard to security, safety, business intelligence, and operational efficiency. Read Now

  • SIA Urges Tariff Relief for Security Industry Products

    Today, the Security Industry Association has sent a letter to U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick requesting relief from tariffs for security industry products and asking that the Trump administration formulate a process that allows companies to apply for product-specific exemptions. The security industry is an important segment of the U.S. economy, contributing over $430 billion in total economic impact and supporting over 2.1 million jobs. Read Now

  • Report Shows Cybercriminals Continue Pivot to Stealthier Tactics

    IBM recently released the 2025 X-Force Threat Intelligence Index highlighting that cybercriminals continued to pivot to stealthier tactics, with lower-profile credential theft spiking, while ransomware attacks on enterprises declined. IBM X-Force observed an 84% increase in emails delivering infostealers in 2024 compared to the prior year, a method threat actors relied heavily on to scale identity attacks. Read Now

New Products

  • Connect ONE’s powerful cloud-hosted management platform provides the means to tailor lockdowns and emergency mass notifications throughout a facility – while simultaneously alerting occupants to hazards or next steps, like evacuation.

    Connect ONE®

    Connect ONE’s powerful cloud-hosted management platform provides the means to tailor lockdowns and emergency mass notifications throughout a facility – while simultaneously alerting occupants to hazards or next steps, like evacuation.

  • AC Nio

    AC Nio

    Aiphone, a leading international manufacturer of intercom, access control, and emergency communication products, has introduced the AC Nio, its access control management software, an important addition to its new line of access control solutions.

  • Hanwha QNO-7012R

    Hanwha QNO-7012R

    The Q Series cameras are equipped with an Open Platform chipset for easy and seamless integration with third-party systems and solutions, and analog video output (CVBS) support for easy camera positioning during installation. A suite of on-board intelligent video analytics covers tampering, directional/virtual line detection, defocus detection, enter/exit, and motion detection.