A federal lawsuit is "seeking to have protective netting extended to the foul poles at major league ballparks," according to Austin Knoblauch of the L.A. TIMES. The lawsuit, which was filed against MLB in S.F. yesterday, is "trying to force MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred to install protective netting in front of fans sitting beyond foul-ball territory." Currently, netting is "used in sections near home plate." The suit, filed on behalf of A's season-ticket holder Gail Payne and other baseball ticket holders, "does not seek monetary damages." The lawsuit states Payne and her family "feel they are at risk for injury since their seats on the first-base line at O.co Coliseum in Oakland are not shielded by protective netting." Red Sox fan Tonya Carpenter "suffered life-threatening injuries last month when she was hit by a broken bat" during a game against the A's at Fenway Park (L.A. TIMES, 7/14). In S.F., Kurtis Alexander notes the attorneys representing the plaintiff are "asking the U.S. District Court of Northern California to accept the case as a class-action lawsuit on behalf of all season ticket holders nationwide." According to the suit, 1,750 fans "are injured each year at major league games by flying baseballs" (S.F. CHRONICLE, 7/14). In N.Y., Richard Sandomir notes the lawsuit claims MLB "did too little to protect fans from fast-moving foul balls and splintered bats." In particular, the suit "cited what it said was a need to add netting far down the first- and third-base lines." The "lead lawyer" in the suit is Seattle-based Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro Managing Partner Steve Berman (N.Y. TIMES, 7/14).
