9-Year-Old Kansas Bat Boy Dies Following Head Injury


Super fan and bat boy Kaiser Carlile, nine-years-old, loved the Liberal Bee Jays baseball team. But a bat follow-through swing accidentally struck the little boy during a National Baseball Congress (NBC) World Series game on Saturday. He sustained head injuries and died Sunday afternoon.

Head Injury Kills Bat Boy
Bat Boy, Kaiser Carlile, Dies From Head Injury. Instagram.

Before every game, Kaiser always told the team:

“Have fun and play hard.”

How The Injury Happened

The little guy was retrieving a bat laying on the ground and came too close to the on-deck batter. The batter didn’t see Kaiser and his practice swing caught the boy’s head. Even though Kaiser was wearing a helmet, as required for all bat boys, the injury proved fatal.
Both the base player and the umpire ran to Kaiser and caught him before he hit the ground. Umpire Mark Goldfeder was an EMT in another state and tended to Kaiser as the ambulance arrived. The ambulance and EMT crew were already on-scene to treat a fan suffering from heat exhaustion.

Malachi Lingg saw the accident:

“It was really silent. Everybody was quiet. I think they were all really sad because it was a really small boy.

“I felt really bad I was praying for him, hope he’s okay. I just felt really bad for the (aunt). She was right there in the front row and she saw it all and she was right there on the field asking if he was okay, if he had a concussion.”

Immediately after Kaiser left in the ambulance, the Bee Jays formed a circle and prayed for their littlest member.

About Kaiser

Kaiser’s aunt said that he spent the summer in the role of bat boy for the Bee Jays, even riding to games on the team bus. She described her nephew as happy-go-lucky and intelligent. She also said he loved sports of any kind.

Sad News

The National Baseball Congress released this statement:

“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. 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. 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 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. “


The Liberal Bee Jays posted this on their Facebook page Sunday evening:

“With the permission of the family, and with much sorrow and a very broken heart, I regretfully inform everyone that Kaiser Carlile passed away earlier this evening.”

NBC teams and fans show support for Liberal’s bat boy. The team also created a GoFundMe page to help Kaiser’s family with medical and funeral expenses, here

I hope we will always remember the little bat boy who told us to “have fun and play hard.”