Opinion: The MLB Made The Right Decision With Protective Netting

Going to the ballpark to enjoy a baseball game on a nice summer or cool spring/fall night is an opportunity many people take advantage of during the six-plus months of the MLB season. In today’s world, there has been reason to be worried at baseball games more than in the past, though, as pitchers throw harder, hitters are stronger, and too many people are sitting on their phones when they go to a game instead of actually paying attention to the action on the diamond.

 

The MLB is taking measures to make the game safer for fans, as they’ve announced all 30 Major League ballparks will have protective netting to at least the far end of dugouts starting this season. The league released a statement, with word from Commissioner Manfred:

 

Major League Baseball announced today that all Major League ballparks will have protective netting extending to at least the far ends of both dugouts by 2018 Opening Day. Each Major League Club has made the decision to expand its ballpark netting beyond the minimum recommendations issued by the Commissioner’s Office in December 2015.  Many Clubs have already announced or implemented expanded netting.

 

Commissioner Robert D. Manfred, Jr. said: “Providing baseball fans with a variety of seating options when they come to the ballpark, including seats behind protective netting, is important. Major League Clubs are constantly evaluating the coverage and design of their ballpark netting and I am pleased that they are providing fans an increased inventory of protected seats.”

 

More than almost anyone, I’m for people paying as much attention as possible when going to a sporting event—there is little reason to be sitting on your phone half the time if you’re paying money to go to a game. And some are complaining about this new safety implementation because they believe people should be paying attention, and I certainly see where they are coming from. But a safety netting extension is clearly long overdue, in my opinion.

 

Yes, many people are more than capable of catching a foul ball or at least defending their kids, family, or significant other. However, there are many people that simply don’t have the ability or coordination to catch a relatively small object flying toward them. Also, even those with supreme athletic ability could slip up and miss a baseball screaming at well over 100 miles per hour into the stands. If you’ve played baseball you know baseballs can screw, tail, and knuckle like crazy off the bat, making it difficult to catch even with a glove. Mistakes could cost someone serious injury—or even worse, a life.

 

There is also the issue with broken bats flying into the stands. At baseball games with wooden bats, there is the risk of sizable pieces of wood flying in the stands to catch someone. Not that it happens close to often, but the chance of impalement is existing. Where else is something that dangerous possible?

 

I get many people will act tough and prideful in stating they don’t need a protective net around the stadium, and maybe they don’t—good for them. But it’s fair to say most people would take the slight inconvenience of protective netting, which is already at premium seats like directly behind home plate, over the very real chance of a serious injury and hospitalization to themselves or someone else.