Renewed push for protective netting

[bork]

I thought there was a thread on this, but I couldn't find it. The incident at Yankee Stadium where a little girl was hit in the head by a 105 mph line drive appears to be renewing the push to extend protective netting at all stadiums. Cincinnati, San Diego and Seattle will extend the netting by opening day.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvTEEwlbltc You can't see too much in the stands, but the players are in tears. It's tough to watch, especially as a father of a 4 year old daughter who was recently at a game.

 

Even if you are paying attention, there is no time to react to something hit that hard. And baseball teams are pushing you to use your smartphone during the game (bingo, posting your picture to Instagram, etc). The Miami series was one of the rare occasions where I got to sit right next to the field and I had trouble figuring out where some of the foul balls went. Incidents like this will happen more often, unless the netting is extended. And I think it is only a matter of time before all teams are forced to do it.

[Bombers]

And in my opinion I find that disappointing - don't sit near the field with young kids when you can't pay attention. I just sat row 5 behind dugout yesterday with my 8 year old and I felt safe the whole time. There is a reason the tickets behinds home plate sell for less than the tickets behind the dugout on the secondary market. I went to a Pirates game at PNC this year and they go end of dugout to end of dugout and I wasn't a fan of it. I sit behind the dugout for a reason and now they are reducing that excitement

[3and2Fastball]

I'm definitely in favor of protective netting foul pole to foul pole

[bork]

I was behind home plate, behind the netting. I didn't find it too distracting. I probably wouldn't do the field level until my kids are older, unless it was behind netting.

[3and2Fastball]

The players won't let their kids attend a game unless they are behind netting. There is a reason for that

[pacopete4]

I'm not sure what the hold up is on this issue. Just put up the netting already. Some will whine and complain for about a year, maybe longer. After 4-5 years, most won't even remember there was a day without the netting. Not sure why the MLB is dragging their feet.

[trwi7]

I just sat row 5 behind dugout yesterday with my 8 year old and I felt safe the whole time.

 

Could that be because this one time a ball didn't come flying at you at 100 mph? And I'm sorry, with all the people that get up and move around and block views, there's no way that even if a person is paying attention that they could be focused on the ball 100% of the time trying to look around a person or having a person stand up in front of them.

 

Put up the nets, it's not distracting in the least and doesn't take away from the enjoyment of the game.

[tmwiese55]

Netting doesn't bother me at all behind the plate. Eventually you don't even realize it's there. It's as inevitable as the DH, just do both already.

 

I'm also not a fan of blaming people for being distracted as if it's their fault. You are constantly being distracted ,there is no way to have your eyes right there for 260 pitches in a row. Food vendors beer vendors, getting up to let people through, passing money to help the vendors, events on the board, checking stats and score on your phone, interacting with friends about the game on your phone. Then add in that even if you're paying attention and see it coming you just might not be quick enough to do anything about it. How many here know people who've been smoked in the face playing softball? This is way faster and unexpected.

[And That]

Scouts pretty much only sit behind the netting. Doesn't seem to bother them?

[3and2Fastball]

Scouts pretty much only sit behind the netting. Doesn't seem to bother them?

 

Exactly! Thank you

 

If the people who get paid to scout games prefer to sit behind netting, that tells you all you need to know about visibility

[PinaMadness]

And in my opinion I find that disappointing - don't sit near the field with young kids when you can't pay attention. I just sat row 5 behind dugout yesterday with my 8 year old and I felt safe the whole time. There is a reason the tickets behinds home plate sell for less than the tickets behind the dugout on the secondary market. I went to a Pirates game at PNC this year and they go end of dugout to end of dugout and I wasn't a fan of it. I sit behind the dugout for a reason and now they are reducing that excitement

Perhaps your opinion will change when somebody dies. And this is not the fault of the grandparents. That ball could've killed anybody.

[Austin Tatious]

I sat behind the netting and literally didn't even think about it. I'd 100% put it up foul pole to foul pole.

 

I was down the first base foul line once, and Prince hit a screaming rocket our way but it missed us in the end. It was scary. I'm not sure I could have protected myself. I stopped sitting in those seats ever since. I'm not going to a game to have to stay on freaking guard of a ball popping me. I want to relax, and not be on high alert like a night guard at NORAD.

[jerichoholicninja]

Plexiglass all the way around, hockey style.

[DuWayne Steurer]

I sit behind home plate at snappers games and within 5 minutes forget the net is there.

[MrTPlush]

We live in a world where we have to protect people from their own stupidity.

 

This latest situation wasn't the fault of no netting. It lies 100% on the people that put a 2 year old in one of the most dangerous spots possible. That's just reckless.

 

This isn't a good example for extended netting.

[NeedMoreFans]

It took someone dying from being hit by a puck for the NHL to require nets be installed behind the goal. Should it take a fan dying from a foul ball for MLB to do the same? Injuries due to foul balls, flying bats, etc... are 100% preventable. Bringing a young kid to a game should not prevent you from sitting in good seats.

[And That]

Good thing is that it's really easy to make the spot non-dangerous.

[bork]

The other factor is that all the new ballparks put fans right next to the foul line, much closer than they used to be. So you've got players hitting the ball harder and more fans in harm's way.

 

So it's "reckless" to put a 2 year old close to the field. Was it reckless for an adult to sit there when they were hit by a broken bat?

[homer]

No one. Not one single person (even the old timers that listen to Uke on their headset and keep score) watch 100% of the pitches in a game.

[bucks2281]

No one. Not one single person (even the old timers that listen to Uke on their headset and keep score) watch 100% of the pitches in a game.

 

Well, except for Brewer Bob.

[TURBO]

I sit behind home plate at snappers games and within 5 minutes forget the net is there.

 

I sit behind the net 95% of the time at T-Rats games and it isn't even a thought in my mind. Sitting behind the net is smart, sitting behind the nets with kids is a MUST!

[TURBO]

No one. Not one single person (even the old timers that listen to Uke on their headset and keep score) watch 100% of the pitches in a game.

 

Well, except for Brewer Bob.

 

...and Front Row Amy, if she is still a thing...

[DuWayne Steurer]

I sit behind home plate at snappers games and within 5 minutes forget the net is there.

 

I sit behind the net 95% of the time at T-Rats games and it isn't even a thought in my mind. Sitting behind the net is smart, sitting behind the nets with kids is a MUST!

 

 

I honestly feel like the people that say the net is distracting or obstructs their view just really want something to complain about. The first time I sat behind the net I thought "oh wow, that's really right in your face", and by the time the game started, I really had forgotten it, and stopped noticing it.

[bani1717]

I think the biggest thing that a net prevents is interaction with the players. Putting netting up from pole to pole prevents the possibility of getting autographs or balls from players. With that said maybe they could put up retractable netting that isn't up during BP when there is a protective cage around home plate (though even then there are still plenty of foul balls going into the stands).

 

In terms of the game itself I could go either way in terms of netting. I don't have a problem with it. On the other hand there are millions of people each year who sit in "dangerous" seats (none of whom watch every single pitch closely, as someone already mentioned) and there are only a handful of serious injuries as a result each year. There are probably plenty of other things you could do that have a much higher chance of danger than watching a baseball game from a specific location. No, I wouldn't want that to happen to myself or anyone I know, but the chances are pretty small, and it's not really a big concern of mine when deciding where to sit. But I understand that netting is an easy way to prevent an unlikely but potentially life threatening injury with relatively no downside, so from that perspective I can get behind it.

[DuWayne Steurer]

. I don't have a problem with it. On the other hand there are millions of people each year who sit in "dangerous" seats (none of whom watch every single pitch closely, as someone already mentioned) and there are only a handful of serious injuries as a result each year. .

 

there are over 1500 reported injuries per year from foul balls at MLB games. How many are serious? Not sure. But that's a lot, and they could be prevented.