more foul ball netting?

This topic has been in the national news recently because people are getting hit and hurt with foul balls at MLB games. In 2015, every baseball stadium was required to extend foul ball netting to the dugouts. Well now there’s talk of extending it all the way to the foul ball pole in the outfield. Why is nobody admitting the root of the problem? How about the fans pay more attention to the actual game instead of looking at their phones, socializing, or drinking beer? I don’t go to a lot of baseball games but every time I do, I see WAY more people not paying attention than ones that ARE paying attention. Foul balls are part the risk and there are signs posted at every stadium. Its the same thing in ice hockey. Pay attention to the game and be prepared for flying objects.

Is that really the problem?

gim wrote:

I don’t go to a lot of baseball games but every time I do, I see WAY more people not paying attention than ones that ARE paying attention.

Shouldn’t you be paying attention instead of looking and seeing what everyone else is doing?

From what I’ve read after the nets were extended in 2018 MLB saw MORE foul ball injuries despite lower attendance. So fewer potential targets, supposedly greater security, but somehow more injuries. Apparently balls ricocheting off nets and hitting fans is a problem. False sense of security?

I’ve done a 180 on this one, the safer the better imo. I agree people should be paying attention to the game, but with almost everyone’s phone addiction + all the ballpark distractions it’s just not realistic, and sadly it’s often kids getting hit when parents aren’t watching the game to protect them. Extend them down the line at least a certain height like 10-20 feet above the walls so at least the most dangerous screamers are stopped.

While I share the sentiment that people should be paying attention to the game, it’s not as if anyone is watching with 100% focus to each and every pitch. And even then there are rockets that you can’t possibly react fast enough to. What’s the harm in extending the netting? The cost isn’t prohibitive and it really doesn’t affect one’s ability to see the action.

I don’t think any fan concentrates fully on every batter and even if they did, balls hitting fans are unavoidable at the speed a baseball comes off of a bat. Common sense tells me there’s no good reason not to extend the nets.

I think I’ll fans should have to wear a helmet

gim wrote:

This topic has been in the national news recently because people are getting hit and hurt with foul balls at MLB games. In 2015, every baseball stadium was required to extend foul ball netting to the dugouts. Well now there’s talk of extending it all the way to the foul ball pole in the outfield. Why is nobody admitting the root of the problem? How about the fans pay more attention to the actual game instead of looking at their phones, socializing, or drinking beer? I don’t go to a lot of baseball games but every time I do, I see WAY more people not paying attention than ones that ARE paying attention. Foul balls are part the risk and there are signs posted at every stadium. Its the same thing in ice hockey. Pay attention to the game and be prepared for flying objects.

So instead do you support banning phones, food and beer at the game?

I guess 40,000 people need to pay as much attention to the game as the third baseman. We’ll just hope that everyone is capable of dodging a 110 mph foul ball line drive from a sitting position.

How dare people enjoy themselves after spending $500 to watch a ball game.

I absolutely think the nets should go to foul poles to protect from screaming line drives. Once in the outfield should have plenty of reaction time. I will say I go to games to drink beer and hang out and love watching the game. My old lady on the other hand cant put her phone down long enough to realize wtf is going on around her half the time.

I don’t think the recent 2-year old girl was hit because she was playing on her phone.

Times and views can change, sometimes even for the better. I realize it wouldn’t be how it used to be, but with such an easy fix right there for MLB, I’d vote yes, extend the nets.

Extend them for gods sake, what else do we need to see to convince us?

I heard someone on the radio the other day talking about it right after that cubs guy(Contreras?) hit the little girl. What’s it going to take? Someone to literally get killed before the MLB makes a change? I just don’t think it’s worth waiting for that to happen. If that happens, many lives will be ruined, including the pitcher/batter involved in the accident. Did you see how shook up Contreras was? Remember when that kid was killed at a hockey game before they put up nets, I think that player really went to a dark place after that and basically ended his career.

Interesting thought exercise though, I think there’s pretty good evidence that homeruns are up over the last couple years, many are attributing that to a change in the ball. I haven’t checked whether that comes through in overall exit velocity numbers too, but lets just say those have increased.

If MLB does nothing to protect fans more, AND makes a change that increases exit velocity of the ball, is there a lawsuit in the making for the next big injured fan?

I know there is language on the tickets or something that tries to remove liability from the MLB, but could there be some argument that they are being negligent or irresponsibly increasing risk of injury to fans?

It was Almora not that it matters. With the juiced ball and Maple bats there is less reaction time. Run the netting to the foul poles.

I say either run the nets all the way around or get rid of the partial nets. Partial nets give fans a false sense of security and create areas where a ball can ricochet off the net and still hit a fan.

We all know they’re not going to walk safety regs backwards, so nets all around it is.

I thought the nets in hockey would suck, but you don’t really notice them.

I wonder though, in baseball you wouldn’t be looking straight through the netting. You’d be looking at an angle through the netting making the holes in the netting visually smaller.might have to reduce the prices of the seats down first and third on the lower level since the view is obstructed.

mplspug wrote:

You’d be looking at an angle through the netting making the holes in the netting visually smaller.

Sounds like an opportunity for an invention.

Just run the netting. People will complain no matter what size the mesh is. If somebody is that put-off they can sit in the 2nd deck where the site lines are as good anyway. The people that complain about the net are the same people that insist little Johnny where a helmet ridding his tricycle.

I agree, just get it up. I’m not even sure anymore what the arguments AGAINST it could be, and even if there are arguments, the bad PR and images of fans, especially kids, being taken to the hospital should outweigh them.

I watch a lot of baseball… I go to several games a year… with all the money in baseball there is no reason at all that retractable netting could not be in place. Raise the nets up pre and post game so kids have a chance to get a ball signed or have a ball tossed to them during the pregame warm ups… then lower the nets for the game. This would not take much away from the ballpark experience, and add an element of safety to the fans.

I have sat behind the nets now and before the game even starts your eyes adjust and you hardly notice them.

gim wrote:

Why is nobody admitting the root of the problem? How about the fans pay more attention to the actual game instead of looking at their phones, socializing, or drinking beer?

It’s freaking baseball man! What could be more boring? And I love the sport.

No socializing or drinking? LMAO. That’s a top 10 comment for me.

The nets are no big deal. I sit two rows back on the twins dugout and I barely notice it…except the payers dont toss handfuls of bubble gum to the fans anymore.

My wife got smoked one time by a heater when I wasn’t there…and she was paying attention. Those rippers are scarier the heck. I’m 100% in favor and they make our seats sooooo much better.

Since we are now a society that gambles on anything, maybe take the nets down in hockey & baseball altogether. Ticket buyers are entered into a pool that whoever receives the most stitches without dying gets free season tickets the following year. You could have the option of purchasing a “double down” chance that would pay a additional 1 million dollars. Hmmmmm…………….

Dutchboy wrote:

Since we are now a society that gambles on anything, maybe take the nets down in hockey & baseball altogether. Ticket buyers are entered into a pool that whoever receives the most stitches without dying gets free season tickets the following year. You could have the option of purchasing a “double down” chance that would pay a additional 1 million dollars. Hmmmmm…………….

What? LOL. Are you at the same swim up bar I’m at? (Yes, I’ll be making no nonsense comments in a few hours as well).

Put up the nets! Look at the way the game has changed the ball is hit harder, bats, etc… I haven’t heard one logical reason to not extend them just shots at people that they should pay attention more. I actually think of this when selecting seats. Don’t need to be on the line watching for line drives flying down the line with two kids with.

Only one solution to this 1st world problem.

Bubble wrap every child at birth. No more risk little tommy or Suzy learn that fire burns or freezing cold flags poles will stick to your tongue.

What a country!!!

Oh and make sure they ALL receive their participation award!

Kurt Turner wrote:

Only one solution to this 1st world problem.

Bubble wrap every child at birth. No more risk little tommy or Suzy learn that fire burns or freezing cold flags poles will stick to your tongue.

What a country!!!

Oh and make sure they ALL receive their participation award!

Right, because the next generation has something to learn from getting drilled by a line drive? Give me a break. Put up the nets.

The point of this thread when I originally started was to simply point out that more people need to pay attention to the game, which would reduce the number of injuries. I’m guessing that most people who get hit with a foul ball are not paying attention because they’re distracted by their phone, their beer, or someone else. I didn’t say we should ban all other forms of distraction while attending a baseball game.

At some point, someone’s gonna get hit with a home run ball too and then the fans will be asking for protective netting in the outfield. Maybe they should just turn the whole field into a giant bird cage-type atmosphere.

and get off my lawn!

As long as the netting doesn’t go up and over, keep it for liners.

There be no reason to bring the gloves for kiddos anymore, or see webgems like this

No net obstruction from “The Catch” seating…

Attachments:

1. 

   image-1.jpg
   

BigWerm wrote:

I’ve done a 180 on this one, the safer the better imo. I agree people should be paying attention to the game, but with almost everyone’s phone addiction + all the ballpark distractions it’s just not realistic, and sadly it’s often kids getting hit when parents aren’t watching the game to protect them. Extend them down the line at least a certain height like 10-20 feet above the walls so at least the most dangerous screamers are stopped.

Totally in agreement. I used to take the cynical ‘everyone should just pay attention. . . duh’ approach, but that’s just not realistic to have 100% of people paying attention 100% of the time. Too many people were getting brained at the ballpark. I saw it in person one time with a superfan at the Metrodome when I was a teen. This guy was a baseball academic that had season tickets right above the dugout, yet it still happened to him. Caught it right between the eyes. You don’t want to mess with TBIs. They change people for life.

Thought a three year old was hit at an Indians game recently. We were at the twins game Sunday. My buddy was right behind the visitors dugout we were in the upper deck. We saw one ball just fly off the bat and go above the netting. My first thought was hope it didn’t hit someone. Turns out my buddy said he lifted his hand right when it was coming and it went right past his hand and nailed the guy behind hims hand. He said if it hit someone that wasn’t looking it would’ve been real bad. So I’d say put up the nets and put them up where there going to stop anything other than a fly ball. Anyone saying not to put up the netting imagine you see someone get nailed by a liner especially a kid I’d like to see you tell them they should’ve been paying attention more. For versus tradition and the old days. The stadiums are different then they used to be and the ball is also hit a lot harder.