A steel beam, which was part of the structure holding the net behind home plate, fell over crashing into the temporary bleachers beneath it.
“The blessing in all of this is that no one was there when it happened,” said Dr. Greg Williams, WTC president. “Nothing was damaged except the bleachers and we’re so thankful for that.”
The construction of the beams was under the supervision of Earthco, owned by Tom Blackshear of Big Spring.
Blackshear had sub-contracted the construction of the cement base and the welding of the beams to Roy Gutierrez, also of Big Spring.
“We are in the process of getting a permanent fix on the beams and exactly what caused them to fall,” said Blackshear.
It is speculated that the materials used in building the cement base and the method in which the steel beams were inset may not have been carried out correctly. However, Blackshear said that the exact cause of the damage has not been determined.
Earthco is absorbing all of the costs for the repair and the replacement of the beams and correcting any structural problems.
“We are taking this very seriously,” said Blackshear. “We want to assure the safety of everyone who visits the field.”
Dr. Williams expressed assurances that the setback will be corrected in about two weeks.
“Safety is our first concern. We want the beams repaired, but we want them repaired correctly.”