Spectator safety at MLB venues has become a hot topic, and more and more, fans "are playing unwitting roles in stadium turkey shoots," according to Joe Strauss of the ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH. Ballpark dimensions "are tighter," while in-game diversions "are more common." Strauss: "Small wonder reports of collateral damage in the stands have become an almost daily occurrence." MLB "pays regular lip service to its fans." The league says that it is "all about maximizing the 'experience,' whatever that means." Meanwhile, the "body count rises as MLB retreats behind 'The Baseball Rule' that protects member clubs from liability." Rather than "seize their own initiative, teams await a MLB study that should long ago have recommended greater coverage by netting that typically runs from on-deck circle to on-deck circle." Cardinals President Bill DeWitt III: "At some level, there’s a balance. I’m not saying we’ve found the perfect balance because it’s difficult to protect everyone from everything." Strauss writes the MLBPA "is championing the issue while management continues to ponder the growing list of casualties." Except for "fear of being first, nothing prevents individual clubs from pre-empting the central office and modifying their netting." This much "is certain: Revenue-conscious owners are not about to move seating further from the field." While "publicly pandering to fans, they are too willing to allow customers, their children and their geriatric relatives to go where angels fear to tread." For now, one "only hopes the game isn’t rubbing nickels while merely hoping to avoid the NHL’s experience" (ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, 8/26).
TIME FOR ACTION: In Columbus, Michael Arace writes MLB "can avoid killing a fan." Arace: "Just hang the nets." There is "no need to spout off about how nets will somehow denigrate the game or destroy the fan experience." Modern professional sports "are played in stadiums that are filled with multimedia entertainment and advertising electronics." MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred needs to "listen up" (COLUMBUS DISPATCH, 8/26). In Cleveland, Paul Hoynes writes it is "hard to believe MLB has not already installed protective netting in every ballpark running from the screened area behind home plate to each foul pole." Manfred took office "willing to change many things in the game." Hoynes: "So why not protect those fans? And why not do it yesterday?" (Cleveland PLAIN DEALER, 8/26). In Tacoma, John McGrath writes extending protective nets over the dugouts "should be commissioner Manfred’s No. 1 priority" for '16 (Tacoma NEWS TRIBUNE, 8/26). ESPN’s Mike Greenberg said, “They have got to get this right with the nets at these ballparks. You cannot have fans getting carried out of these games on stretchers. … I understand that part and parcel of the experience of baseball is that you feel like you're right there. You feel like you're so close. You can talk to the players. I get it. I get all of that. I get why the hesitation. But this is just happening too often, and it's a miracle that it doesn't happen more and that it hasn't been more serious.” Mike Golic said, “There are those on the other side that say if you're in those seats, you have to pay attention. And I'm not saying the people that got hit weren't paying attention, but what's been brought up is, A, are they paying attention? And, B, in this era of social media, how many people's faces are in their phone?” (“Mike & Mike,” ESPN Radio, 8/26).
PENNY FOR YOUR THOUGHTS: ESPN’s Alex Cora said, "In Japan, it goes from left-field pole all the way to right-field pole. I mean, put the net all the way over there. Even in batting practice. ... They had ushers with whistles and whenever the ball was coming they started whistling and people started paying attention." The net’s Chris Singleton said, “Most times, people are resistant to change. ... But safety has to be No. 1 and I think baseball really needs to step up at this point” (“Baseball Tonight,” ESPN, 8/24). ESPN’s Jayson Stark: “I have very little doubt that this is going to get addressed by next season, by next Opening Day. There’s just not really enough time for them to do anything about it this year, and obviously we all hold our breath and hope nothing tragic happens in the meantime, but it’s actually more complicated than a lot of people think. One of the things that Rob Manfred seems like he does with everything is to try and study it scientifically and not just make an emotional decision." But he added, "One of the other complications is you’ve got parks built in 1912 and parks built 15 minutes ago, and so they are all different and each one represents a different engineering challenge” (“Mike & Mike,” ESPN Radio, 8/25).
