How Would You Feel About Protective Netting to the Foul Lines?

[splitterpfj]

The players have been trying to get this for a while now, I know when I talked to Mandy Coolbaugh after her husband's death, she told me the players always have their own families sit behind the netting, or back away from the field.

 

I realize it would be a major change, but I think it should happen.

 

http://www.foxsports.com/mlb/story/boston-red-sox-fenway-park-mlb-broken-bat-injured-fan-safety-netting-060715

[SRB]

I don't see why anyone would be opposed, the netting barely obstructs your view (indeed, the most expensive seats in any park are behind netting).

 

I also think injuries from line drives are a lot more common than people realize. Obviously they are rarely life threatening or involve a broken bat, so we don't hear about them.

[jerichoholicninja]

I'd be against it. For me, it would ruin the experience of going to a game.

 

After I heard about the Boston incident I knew there was probably going to be a rash of overreacting changes made because of it.

[MrTPlush]

What a horrible and ugly looking idea. It would ruin the experience for me. I sat behind the net once....HATED it and never will again. There is no reason to. When you go to the game and sit that close you run the risk of the one in a trillion chance a bat will tomahawk into the stands and give you life threatening injuries. I have never seen another instance or heard of one where a person got serious injuries due to something flying into the stands. I have heard of some broken wrists/hands...but that is pretty minor.

 

I would be in more support of changing the bats vs. this ridiculous idea that has been thrown around.

[rickh150]

Nets should be extended to/thru the dugout tops..... too many hard fouls/ broken bats into the first row of stands with ZERO time to react. If fans were educated on the dangers of sitting of sitting close to the field, that would be one thing. They are not, however. A sign that says "Beware of flying balls and bats" means nothing to the uneducated baseball fan. I'd also like to see the nets raised a bit behind home plate. Why??? I took a tour of Miller Park and saw circular holes in the walls of the media room(including name of pitcher/hitter and date) behind the plate. Those balls coming straight back have hair on them too!

 

Yet, I think we don't need them all the way down the line. People have a second or two more to react there, and like some said here already, the view is changed somewhat for the worse with a net to look through. This would give the fan an option too go down the line a bit to get the unobstructed view.

 

So some change is needed, in my opinion.... In the overprotected world we live in with lawsuits and helicopter parents, it's really about time.

[rickh150]

Also, a danger code could easily be added on each ticket, ala forest fire or allergy warnings

Red...... danger of rocket hit foul balls/broken bats

Orange.... moderate danger

Yellow... some foul balls, rarely hard hit

Green... not typical foul ball territory

 

It is a little sad that it has to come to this.... people should know where the danger areas are in the ballpark. Yet, many are so new to baseball (schools don't teach it as much) and so oblivious to the dangers that this could be a helpful guide. Sometimes I see a mother with young children or a newborn sitting behind the dugout or by the on deck circle and cringe.... fairly irresponsible. I feel somewhat uncomfortable sitting there as an older athlete with a glove. My eyes are always on the field feeling that I cannot miss a swing because at any moment a screaming ball/bat could be headed our way.

[DuWayne Steurer]

I can understand saying that a net in your site-line is not the best thing to look at, but isn't saying it "ruins the experience" a bit over the top?

 

When I go to minor league games, I ALWAYS sit right behind home plate, or in the netted area, and by the 2nd inning, I'm completely unaware I'm watching a game through a net.

[SRB]

I feel somewhat uncomfortable sitting there as an older athlete with a glove. My eyes are always on the field feeling that I cannot miss a swing because at any moment a screaming ball/bat could be headed our way.

 

I feel this way too depending on the seats, which is part of the reason I would more than welcome netting, so I could sit in those seats and just enjoy the game.

 

They have extended netting in Japan, it is not an issue. The visibility is virtually the same. You would still feel close to the field, it's not like they would be putting up hockey glass or anything.

[rickh150]

Agree with SRB...

[Invader3K]

It wouldn't bother me. I have sat behind the netting behind home plate a few times, and frankly I never really even noticed it.

[DocLuna7]

I am opposed and think it is a bit of well-intentioned overkill. You cannot protect everyone from everything all the time, and I think that the downside of having a net spanning across the length of the stands on both sides would definitely outweigh and take away from the other aesthetically pleasing parts of being close at a baseball game.

[MrTPlush]

I can understand saying that a net in your site-line is not the best thing to look at, but isn't saying it "ruins the experience" a bit over the top?

 

When I go to minor league games, I ALWAYS sit right behind home plate, or in the netted area, and by the 2nd inning, I'm completely unaware I'm watching a game through a net.

 

Ruins the experience? Probably over the top. The thing that bugged me the most was the scoreboard quality really being killed by the net. It also just makes me feel like there is something between me in the players...which hey, there is!

 

But let's be real here...can anyone mention another major injury from a fan being hit by an object flying off the field? Other than broken bones or a bruise? I have watched many bats also fly into the stands and never see a single person need medical attention. It's a freak accident.

[SRB]

But let's be real here...can anyone mention another major injury from a fan being hit by an object flying off the field? Other than broken bones or a bruise? I have watched many bats also fly into the stands and never see a single person need medical attention. It's a freak accident.

 

I agree that life-threatening injuries tend to be freak accidents, but (1) they do happen; and (2) more minor injuries are much more prevalent.

 

Here is a recent article on the issue:

 

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2014-09-09/baseball-caught-looking-as-fouls-injure-1750-fans-a-year

 

(including an 8-year-old who was hospitalized by a Carlos Gomez foul ball last season)

[homer]

I'm guessing they'll do it eventually and won't see a decrease in attendance as a result. I also think they'll come up with some kind of super thin but super strong netting that is basically see through.

[jjkoestler]

I don't think it's necessary. Random thoughts....

- It would eliminate some of the most exciting plays in baseball when a player isn't able to go into the stands to make a catch.

- It's not aesthetically pleasing.

- I don't like looking through a screen.

- Worried about flying bats and balls? Don't sit on the field level.

[xisxisxis]

I stopped reading the article when I saw Ken Rosenthal wrote it....

 

The chances of injuring yourself driving to the game and home is vastly greater than the chance of being injured at a baseball game so until theres a major cry to improve and expand mass transit why should there be a rush to implement any changes at the ballpark. Just live with the infinitesimally small chance that a sheared bat or foul ball will hit you... Dont forget to where your protective helmet when you do go to the game to protect from an asteroid that may land on your head and kill you....

[MrTPlush]

But let's be real here...can anyone mention another major injury from a fan being hit by an object flying off the field? Other than broken bones or a bruise? I have watched many bats also fly into the stands and never see a single person need medical attention. It's a freak accident.

 

I agree that life-threatening injuries tend to be freak accidents, but (1) they do happen; and (2) more minor injuries are much more prevalent.

 

Here is a recent article on the issue:

 

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2014-09-09/baseball-caught-looking-as-fouls-injure-1750-fans-a-year

 

(including an 8-year-old who was hospitalized by a Carlos Gomez foul ball last season)

 

Good article, thanks for posting it. Gave me the incidents I was looking to be enlightened with.

 

But there was one HUGE glaring issue I saw. Almost every single incident was smaller kids being at the receiving end. If you don't think your child can react fast enough to a foul ball don't get them that close. Seems like adults are doing just fine avoiding serious injury. Now I'm not saying ban kids from the infield...but let's not ruin some of the experience for others because of a few incidents.

 

Sadly we live in a society where one bad accident and we must find a way to bubble wrap everyone to make sure it can never happen again.

[SRB]

Sadly we live in a society where one bad accident and we must find a way to bubble wrap everyone to make sure it can never happen again.

 

It just seems like on one side of the scale you have kids and other people (who for all we know could not possibly have reacted in time) being seriously injured, and on the other side of the scale we have... people mad because they have to watch through a thin screen that barely affects their view of the field whatsoever?

 

It's not like anybody is calling to ban baseball here or anything.

[DuWayne Steurer]

If you can prevent injuries at a baseball game (and they do happen) why wouldn't you? By doing something as simple as putting up a net, you can prevent the injuries that occur. 1750 injuries a year? If we have the ability to prevent even half of those (we do....FWIW), why wouldn't we?

 

Of those 1750 reported injuries, how many went to the ER? 500? 400? Isn't that tiny bit of impairment (it isn't an impairment for most people, IMO) in the view worth 400 people (a guess) not having to go to the ER, if we can make that adjustment?

[MrTPlush]

Sadly we live in a society where one bad accident and we must find a way to bubble wrap everyone to make sure it can never happen again.

 

It just seems like on one side of the scale you have kids and other people (who for all we know could not possibly have reacted in time) being seriously injured, and on the other side of the scale we have... people mad because they have to watch through a thin screen that barely affects their view of the field whatsoever?

 

It's not like anybody is calling to ban baseball here or anything.

 

Oh sure we could make it into that argument. But as prices continue to go up why would they make it less enjoyable? I don't see a massive movement from fans to make screens go farther. I don't see parents coming out and complaining that it is too dangerous. I guess they don't mind the possible consequences for sitting close to the field as they sat there in the first place. There needs to be some kind of responsibility in these situations. There are many amazing seats in every stadium. Find one that suits you. You can still have awesome seats in the infield behind the net. It really isn't that hard.

 

Maybe extend the nets at Fenway where this incident happened. They are extremely tiny compared to every other parks. Still I am no supporter of ruining part of the experience over the .000001% chance of getting severely hurt by a flying object from the field.

[JohnBriggs12]

It's a natural outgrowth of the litigious society we've become and not surprising in this day and age when ambulance chasers are major sponsors on telecasts. I find Brewers selling their souls to Hupy and Abraham disgusting but they aren't the only ones. Want to know why medical costs are so high? Takes a lot of cash to get Captain Kirk to do ads for your law firm not to mention to buy time on baseball telecasts.

 

Whatever happened to personal responsibility? You sit near the field, your focus needs to be on the field. If your reflexes aren't what they used to be, I suggest the club level.

[Outlander]

I thought i would hate it but went to my first Mallards game this weekend and didn't mind the netting down the line at all.

[torts]

it would also prevent players from going into the stands trying to catch a ball and potentially getting hurt. so player and fan safety? its a no brainer.

[Mass Haas]

Whatever happened to personal responsibility? You sit near the field, your focus needs to be on the field. If your reflexes aren't what they used to be, I suggest the club level.

 

Well, in the Fenway case, the ball was in play (groundout to second base). So even if you were intently following the game, and not distracted, your eyes would be drawn to the white baseball and not the spinning lumber heading your way within a second or two.

 

Why are maple bats allowed again?

[JohnBriggs12]

Nanny State alert!

 

I'm fine with it as long as it's baseball's choice and not mandated by an over intrusive government.