MLB “actively studying” ways to improve fan safety
It appears Major League Baseball is coming closer to finding a solution to keep fans safe from foul balls and bats that could make their way into the stands.
As Yahoo’s Tim Brown wrote earlier this week, it’s become a problem that must be addressed. The protective netting currently only covers a small area behind home plate and there’s been a groundswell of support to increase protection further up the foul lines. There have been multiple incidents this year where fans have been badly injured and had to leave the stadium on a stretcher.
No one wants to see that, and the commissioner’s office is intent on stopping it from happening again.
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From Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal:
Baseball is working diligently on the fan-safety issue, but does not expect a resolution before the end of the season, league spokesman Pat Courtney said.
The issue has drawn increased scrutiny due to a series of incidents this season in which fans in the stands have been struck by broken bats and batted balls.
“We are actively studying and evaluating a number of issues related to fan safety, including bat safety, netting, etc., at the league level,” Courtney said.
There’s at least one team that’s trying to stay ahead of the game: the Philadelphia Phillies.
According to Rosenthal, the Phillies already have a plan in place to extend the netting at Citizens Bank Park, but likely won’t go ahead with installation until next year in the case that MLB sets a policy that differs from what they have in store.
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It’s a huge positive to see that there’s much-needed progress being made in this area. Expect to see changes at a big-league ballpark near you as soon as the start of next season.
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Israel Fehr is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter. Follow @israelfehr
