MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred today in Cincinnati said he does not want to take a “reactive” position on the issue of fan safety and protective netting at ballparks. Making his first comments on the subject since a lawsuit against the league was filed yesterday in California, Manfred told the Baseball Writers Association of America the issue remains one of heavy investigation, particularly since a Boston woman was seriously injured last month at Fenway Park by a bat fragment. Any changes, should they occur, would be likely targeted for the '16 season. “We had a very serious injury. It concerns us. But making a major change in the game in a reactive mode, I believe, is a mistake,” he said.
Individual clubs hold the ability to make local change above and beyond minimum MLB standards. MLBPA Exec Dir Tony Clark, also meeting with the BBWAA, said the union intends to play a role in the fan safety issue. “Fan safety is a very real concern, and has been,” Clark said. "There are opportunities to address those issues, and it's a topic the players will engage in."
