This past week, yet another fan was injured by a foul ball. Chicago Cubs OF Albert Almora hit a young girl at Minute Maid Park and she was rushed to the hospital. Thankfully she seems to be improving and escaped a more serious injury, but it has once again sparked a debate over extending netting around fields at MLB parks. This all comes after a 79-year-old woman was actually killed by a foul ball at Dodger Stadium last summer. Beyond a death and a child getting seriously injured, it's alarming to think what else it would take to get MLB's attention on the matter.
The age-old debate on this is that while extended netting is obviously a safety benefit, it detracts from the game experience. More fans would have to sit behind netting and have a semi-obstructed view. Those in the camp that is opposed to more netting would also say that if you just pay attention, this wouldn't happen. Both of these things could not be more false. An incident occurred at a Columbus Blue Jackets hockey game in 2002 where a young fan was struck in the temple with a stray puck, and the NHL immediately implemented mandatory nets behind the goal at each end the following season. To date this remains the only NHL fan fatality and there is no evidence to suggest that attendance or "game experience" has been affected the last 17 years in any way. Whether or not that fan, or the fan or the Astros fan, or any fan, is paying attention, a small projectile flying at you at 100+ mph is really hard to get out of the way of, especially if you are holding a child or a beer or whatever. Even me being the avid baseball fan that I am, I find it hard to focus 100% of my attention on every pitch. Baseball is social game where fans talk and walk around and that is to be expected. And as someone who has been hit by a foul ball recently, I can tell you that only having a second or two to react, I was very fortunate that I or my daughter were not seriously hurt. Not to say I am athletic in any sense of the word, but a young child or an elderly woman certainly would not have been able to react as quickly as I did.
It's time for Major League Baseball to stop worrying about shifts and pitch clocks and focus on a serious issue that actually matters - more protective netting. Minor League Baseball teams are doing it, the players want it, the owners want it, and most fans want it. Trying to appease 150 years of tradition is no excuse for the safety and well-being of fans and it would behoove MLB to show it is quick to act on something for once.
STANDINGS AND UPCOMING SERIES AS OF 6/4/19:
Brewers 34-26, +1.0; 3 v. Marlins, 3 v. Pirates, 2 @ Astros, 3 @ Giants
Twins 40-18, +11.5; 3 v. Mariners, 3 v. Royals, 3 v. Red Sox, 4 @ Royals
2019 GAMES ATTENDED:
Erik - 0
Peter - 6
touch with baseball when his childhood heroes Robin Yount, Paul Molitor, and Jim Gantner retired but the Great Home Run Chase of 1998 reignited his passion. As a student at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Erik became involved with the campus chapter of Habitat for Humanity. With this group Erik traveled to Portland, OR and Baltimore, MD to work on construction projects and help the group raise $25,000 to partially sponsor a house in Milwaukee. Also at UWM, Erik met Peter Nagel. The two attended their first Brewers game together during Opening Weekend 2003. Despite their failure to ignite the coals at their first tailgate, the two had a blast and were soon making weekly trips to the ballpark. Erik has gone on to several colleges and changed careers several times, and has moved all the way out to New Hampshire, but has always stayed true to his baseball roots by holding part-time stadium usher jobs. To this day he looks back fondly on his incredible cross-country journey.
No comments:
Post a Comment