Protecting the fans

If the onus for safety rests squarely on fans in foul territory, why not just take down all of the nets and backstop? Safety, you say? It's the same argument.
Netting needs to be extended.

 

So in the past couple days we've had an intact bat or two fly into the stands, a struck ball break a pitcher's nose and (another) fan fall off an escalator and die. Maybe baseball needs netting under the ramps and escalators?

 

I can support extending the netting around the playing field to the dugouts. The powers that be that head up sports organizations ought to always be considering anything that can be done to reduce the likelihood of serious injury or death at one of their events. Some won't be practical or cost effective. But, lengthening the nets won't make any of those seats go unsold, and may save a life down the line. That seems to make it worthwhile to me.

For a worst case scenario, think about auto racing. Are the fences high enough to prevent a car from getting airborne and getting into the crowd? Would tend to mostly be an issue at the high speed tracks like Talledaga or Daytona, but that would be the ultimate disaster if one of those cars got flipped into the air and found its way into the stands. I seem to recall Indy having high fences; don't know much about NASCAR and any height requirements or standards, so if anyone can fill in the gap here, mucho appreciado.

 

Should all parks have escalators? Ramps? Should each fan be escorted into and out of the game?

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jAcZgq79t4F3swcG5iwSHceBZEoQD90QPT001

The odds of the above happening are higher than dying after being hit by a bat.

 

Yes they should have netting underneath the escalators to catch the falling drunks.

 

Third inning of last nights Sox game.....2 foul balls into the stands. Two kids got a souvenir baseball, something they'll never forget and netting would have prevented that. In the fourth inning a lady was impaled by the barrel of Ortiz' bat, something she'll never forget either!

Conclusion, installing nets will take away everyone's most memorable baseball experience.

 

Good work, Ashy.

 

Well, there is an experiential argument to be made. The lady will have the shape of Big Papi's bat tattooed on her the rest of her life. The kids will sell the balls on e-bay.

 

No, she was impaled! So, once the bat was removed she can also sell that on EBay, and probably get a lot more money.....especially if she gets Ortiz to sign it.

And, after thinking it over I'm not as opposed to netting as before....

 

I'd sell the bat splinter by splinter to Topps.

 

Good post particularly the sentence at the end of the third paragraph about a spectator sport. I'm no dope and I do pay attention when I'm at a game, but if I'm at a game with a bunch of friends and having drinks it's possible that there could be one pitch that I don't see or just don't look up in time. Or hell I could be like Pete and be intent on every single pitch, but that fatass that's getting up to get his third hot dog screens my view for a split second and by the time he's past that ball is already coming at me. I know these are hypotheticals, but they aren't out of the realm.

I've never really thought about this much, but I don't think it'd hurt to have the netting extend to the dugouts. One death would be one too many. Why not make it less likely without having to experience the tragedy that often prompts changes like this.

And finally to the "this is how it's always been" crowd, hockey goalies didn't use to wear masks. Sometimes you become wiser as time passes and increase safety measures.

 

Perhaps MLB could have Raytheon develop a missile that would destroy all foul balls and bat pieces that fly into the stands.