Amanda Brennaman, the wife of Hall of Fame broadcaster Marty Brennaman, experienced a frightening moment during Wednesday night’s Cincinnati Reds game at Great American Ball Park. In the fourth inning of the Reds’ matchup against the Toronto Blue Jays on September 3, Amanda was struck by a foul ball while sitting in the front row of the Lexus Diamond Club.
According to a post she later shared on Facebook, the foul ball managed to soar over the protective netting and hit her directly on the left side of her chest. “In the bottom of the 4th inning a foul ball came over the net and hit me square over my left breast,” she wrote. Amanda explained that she had clipped her Fitbit onto her bra strap, and, by sheer luck, the device absorbed much of the force of the ball. “Thank God I grabbed my Fitbit and put it on my bra strap because it hit that first and took most of the impact,” she noted.
While she admitted the area was already sore and would likely bruise, Amanda emphasized that the outcome could have been significantly worse without the Fitbit taking the brunt of the blow. She also praised the Reds’ staff and the on-site medical team, who responded quickly to check on her and make sure she was okay before she returned to her seat to continue watching the game. Amanda expressed her gratitude for the many messages of concern she received afterward and added a lighthearted note: she plans to keep the baseball that struck her as a memento.
The incident occurred during a high-scoring contest in which the Reds ultimately fell to the Blue Jays, 13–9. Despite the scare, Amanda’s spirits remained high, and her post reflected a sense of relief and humor about the situation.
This week holds additional significance for the Brennaman family. On Saturday, September 6, just three days after the foul-ball incident, the Reds will unveil a bronze statue of Marty Brennaman outside Great American Ball Park, near Crosley Terrace. The ceremony will honor Marty’s legendary career as the voice of the Reds, a tenure that spanned more than four decades and made him one of the most iconic figures in Major League Baseball broadcasting history.
