A few weeks ago, there was a horrific accident at Fenway Park. A woman, who was sitting behind one of the dugouts, was struck by a piece of a broken bat. Her injuries were severe and life-threatening, and there are pictures all over the Internet of them. Predictably, the discussion began on the issue of fan safety at the ballpark. While the woman has, thankfully, recovered from her injuries, the discussion certainly hasn't died down on Internet message boards, and even MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred has weighed in. According to recently released news, the MLB Player's Association had requested that safety netting be extended all the way down both foul lines at all MLB parks. Apparently, this was part of the most recent labor agreement. However, the owners nixed the idea. Now the question has arisen again about extending netting down the foul lines.
Here's my two-cents on the issue: do I think netting should be extended? Resoundingly, no. As someone who goes to many games in a season, and likes to sit behind the dugout, I assume the risk of sitting there. I have to pay attention and understand that when the batter steps up, my eyes need to be on the game. I'm not saying that the poor woman who got hit wasn't paying attention, but I believe that what happened really was an isolated accident. Of all the games I have been to, I have never had a batted ball or thrown bat come screaming directly at me. When you think of the law of averages, this accident was so isolated that, in my view, does not necessitate the extension of the netting.
Additionally, on this line, when it comes to foul ball safety, I do believe there is more risk of foul balls from ricochets. What I mean is that the foul ball ricochets off the press box or a seating deck and then bounces back down into the stands. Netting down the foul lines won't alleviate this matter, unless the nets are the height of the entire seating bowl. In that case, at least at the Big A or Dodger Stadium, you'd have a net that is fifty or sixty feet tall. That would obstruct every single seat in the stadium.
The bottom line is this, ladies and gentleman: please pay attention to the ball game and know what is going on around you. I understand that games are now more of a social event, and that is what makes them fun. What's great about baseball is that the game allows for that socialization. But, when that ball is put in play, please know what is going on.
If we want to have a serious discussion about fan safety at ball games, in my view, we have to be talking about the incredibly excessive amounts of alcohol that is served at games, especially at MLB contests. As I have documented on here before, I've been to some MLB games where drunken idiots are not only influencing my enjoyment of the game, but are being continually served by stadium personnel. We're not talking about just beer, but also hard alcohol, mixed drinks, and wine. It isn't too far of a stretch to believe that some of these idiots who have been drinking are proceeding to drive home, or wherever, after the game. This, in my mind, endangers fans way more than foul balls.
I've never revealed this before, but the above situation is one of the reasons why I pretty much only go to day games for MLB. It would be very easy for me to use public transportation on Fridays and Saturdays to go down to Anaheim or in to LA for a game, but I avoid doing it because I'm legitimately scared of the drunk drivers. I take public transportation, I walk, and I ride my bike, which means I am very vulnerable to a drunk driver. Thankfully I haven't had any incidents of that sort, but I know they're out there and that their choices and behaviors are putting lives at risk.
There's no easy solution to this problem. It isn't reasonable to think that baseball teams will quit selling alcohol at their events. And, heck, with MLB teams charging upwards of $9 for one beer, alcohol is a big money-maker for teams. However, I do believe that enforcement outside of the park can be improved. I really think that law enforcement needs to be more vigilant after games in catching these people who are driving drunk. I mean, MLB is now having everyone go through a metal detector when they enter the park, maybe they can do something similar after the game for drunk drivers. I would feel much more safer if they did that than the current situation of me having to go through a metal detector and the usher looking in my bag for contraband sunflower seeds.
I would love to get your thoughts on this. Do you agree or disagree with me? What do you think is the current state of fan safety at games? Do you want netting up? Do you think that fan safety isn't an issue? Chime in and let's get a discussion going.
It's another 66ers/Angels Weekend Circuit next weekend, so the routine is set. I'll probably throw out a post on something on Saturday while waiting for the 66ers game to start.
Always take on a 3-0 pitch ;)
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