WASHINGTON, July 17 - A Major League baseball pitcher hurls his fastball more than 90 mph (149 kph), and when a batter deflects it foul into the seats, it may fly just as fast, giving spectators a split second to protect themselves.

Most times fans are not seriously hurt. But over a long season, in every big-league ballpark the tally includes head injuries, facial fractures, black eyes and broken fingers.

They do not call the game "hardball" for nothing.

As a result, a growing number of teams are establishing drills to help fans who have been hurt.

Using ushers stationed throughout the parks, two-way radios, closed-circuit cameras that follow the flight of each ball, and medical staff, teams quickly salve injuries from balls -- and on occasion bats -- that fly into the stands.

"When you hear the crack of a bat, keep your head up," said Kynneth Sutton, guest services manager at Robert F. Kennedy Stadium, home of the Washington Nationals. "Fans can really get hurt. It's very scary."

Baseball officials say that between 30 to 60 foul balls reach the seats per game. Most land harmlessly or are caught by spectators, but a few make direct hits that, on average, cause one fan per game to need attention, even if only minor.

Each team plays a 162-game regular season.

TRAINED USHERS

At RFK and at parks in Cleveland, Kansas City, Pittsburgh and others, ushers are trained to rush to where every foul ball lands in the stands, then raise a card -- blue to indicate all clear, yellow if a fan needs help.

In RFK's "command center," staff monitoring closed-circuit cameras watch for the card. When it's yellow, the seat's location is quickly determined and a medical staffer is dispatched to help the ushers who are rendering immediate attention.

"Ushers will not pull a card out until they ask if everyone is OK," Sutton said of the 110 ushers around the stadium.

An on-call ambulance has been needed a few times since the Nats began playing at RFK in 2005, he said.

The Kansas City Royals established their drill in the 1970s, said Chris Richardson, director of event operations.

Over the years it has been refined, and now a log is kept of every foul ball that lands in the seats.

"We build a profile if we need to explore options for fan safety," he said.

Around the league, ushers keep an eye out for any kind of fan distress and in the post September 11 era, they also watch for any unattended bag or briefcase, officials said.

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