How safe is safe?
With the passing of the all-star game, we are halfway through another Summer of baseball. Once again controversy has erupted over safety concerns along the foul line. It seems like more and more we are hearing about someone getting smacked in the face or head by an errant ball. The MLB has added safety netting along the foul line, but some people think it needs to be extended even further into right field and left field to protect the fans.
Here are some of the biggest arguments for not extending the netting:
It will hinder the fans view of the action that is taking place on the field
It will not allow fans to "catch" balls to keep as souvenirs, etc.
Player fan interaction will be decreased
I can understand the "heart" of these arguments, but I honestly don't think anyone wants to keep seeing kids get fractured skulls from being hit in the face by a foul ball.
Sure, you are going to get those people who say it's because people are too busy looking at their phones and not paying attention to the game. I think that might be true 60% of the time, but to me that other 40% makes it more than worth it.
My nieces play softball and I have been hit by an errant pitch from my oldest niece. It hurt! That's before it had extra momentum added to it by being hit with a bat... I heard a story the other day about a NASA rocket scientist or physicist who wrote a whole book/paper about why so many balls are being hit out of the park these days.
Apparently, (and I know it sounds funny), but balls are more round now than they have ever been in the past. This allows them to fly farther and faster than they have in the past. A line drive can cover distances much faster than it could in the past and that fraction of a second could be the difference between you seeing it coming and not.
Since this is a @sportstalk platform, let me know what you think? Are you yeah or meh for extending the safety netting down the foul line? Why or why not?
All pictures were taken by me
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I think as you say for the safety especially of kids its worth the extra nets being put up and the perceived hindrances, in just about every sport it seems everything is getting faster and something as simple as the balls being more precisely round I could see making quite a difference
I think sometimes expel over do the safety card in many things and kind of wrap children ina virtual bubble wrap, but in this case as I said it makes sense to me
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I agree. If it were adults I wouldn't worry as much (how horrible is that) when it is kids though, that is just crazy. Not that it is the same, but heard a fact from Wimbledon the other day that the ball was leaving someones racket at like 168 mph... That is just crazy.
Yeh I herd that comment while watching one of the Wimbledon gams that speed even of come of the serves is pretty incredible
And no I don’t think its horrible say you would not worry so much if it wasn’t Kids, I kind of agree as an adult you make the choice to take the risk yourself
I'd like to argue for more netting -- because deep down I believe anything that keeps people safer -- adults, kids, the handicapped, the "chemically impaired," whatever -- is a good thing.
But I also have to say, even though I'm not a sports fan (wow, is that an understatement!!) I can see how netting serious enough to really make a difference would degrade the whole excitement / visual experience of attending a live game.
In my imagination I see a section in the center -- really good seats, with no netting -- and netting sections on either side for those who either don't care or prefer that. That might not be a good solution -- and it might cause other problems, etc. It's at least an option to consider.
Were I the one in charge of this decision, I might want to try that for a season to see how it worked. Then either leave it as is, fill in the open section with netting, or take the whole thing down and scrap it. (Yeah, I know. The expense, the expense. I try to ignore that whenever possible. I opt for the best solution. Not necessarily the cheapest.)
Normally I would say they have enough money they don't need to worry about the expense. This year sticker sales are pretty dismal though and that could have an impact on their ability to do such a thing. As theme other person stated, there are plenty of other places to sit if you want to feel safe... I still haven't decided how I ultimately feel about it.
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I'd have to argue against added netting. If I'm paying $40+ for a seat in lower levels of 1st base line I don't want to be peering through netting. I think that would just go to lower the experience and also the interaction of the fans to the game as it creates a mental disconnect.
As for people who would rather be safe there's a huge park around. They can purchase seats directly behind home plate or along the newly introduced line. Shoot for that matter they could even go into higher decks though that wouldn't eliminate their risk of fly balls making their way up. I just don't think it warrants enough to change the experience for everyone when others can just be more aware or make better location decisions.
Very fair and reasonable points! Thanks for your awesome reply! Is the netting really that much of a distraction though? I've spent the better part of five years sitting behind chain link watching my nieces play softball. Sure it makes it hard to take pictures but I can still see everything that is going on.
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I wouldn't say its a full distraction but definitely makes me feel less connected to the game than an open field. It doesn't "change" anything but gives my mind the desire to roam for whatever reason. I noticed it when I was playing Little League that I wouldn't stay focused on offense unless I stayed up to the gate entrance to keep my attention in the game. Obviously that's more important when playing but still affects me when catching local high school games. Definitely makes pictures more of an issue to which is needed especially here on #sportstalk :)
For sure, for sure! I was going to grab some photos from pixabay but then I remembered I had these and I felt it would give the post a more personal touch. Those seats at the Tigers game were probably the best I have ever had. I can see how netting would have made it less impactful.
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