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Fansided

Philadelphia Phillies’ Freddy Galvis Wants More Netting

By Nick Fustor

Aug 20, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; A young fan is carried out of the stadium after being injured by the foul ball of Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Freddy Galvis (not pictured) during the eighth inning of a game against the St. Louis Cardinals at Citizens Bank Park. The Philadelphia Phillies won 4-2. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 20, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; A young fan is carried out of the stadium after being injured by the foul ball of Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Freddy Galvis (not pictured) during the eighth inning of a game against the St. Louis Cardinals at Citizens Bank Park. The Philadelphia Phillies won 4-2. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /
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After a ball struck a girl in the stands during the Philadelphia Phillies game on August 20, Freddy Galvis took a firm stance on the debate over protective netting.

When a girl was struck in the face by a foul ball during the Philadelphia Phillies game on Saturday night against the St. Louis Cardinals, Freddy Galvis was notably shaken.

Following the game, Galvis spoke out about increasing fan safety throughout every ballpark.

“What year is this? 2016? It’s 2016 and fans keep getting hit by foul balls when you’re supposed to have a net to protect the fans,” Galvis said via Matt Breen of Philly.com. “The fans give you the money, so you should protect them, right? We’re worried about speeding up the game. Why don’t you put up a net and protect all the fans?”

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This past offseason, Major League Baseball recommended teams increase netting length to anywhere 70 feet within home plate.  Breen noted that the Phillies added 10 feet to their existing netting, which now extends to the inner edge of the dugout.

Adding protective netting has been a difficult decision for teams around the league, as many fans don’t like viewing the game behind the net.

Phillies executive vice president and chief operating officer Mike Stiles said in December that Phillies fans have very differing opinions on protecting netting, but the team would do their best to accommodate everyone’s preferences.  In a statement made on Sunday, Stiles said they will make the decision to add more netting this offseason.

Galvis has a different opinion.  He said the Phillies should have installed protective netting “two years ago, and maybe even before that.”

Rather than worry about decreasing game length, Galvis would like teams to focus on fan safety.

Per Breen, Galvis would eventually like netting that covers the field during play but goes down between innings.  As of now, Kansas City, Minnesota and Washington are the only teams with netting that cover their entire dugouts.

The girl Galvis’ line drive hit was sitting behind the visiting dugout on the third base line.  She was later taken to a local hospital for further evaluations.

Galvis, who has a young daughter, said the incident hit home for him.

“What if I broke all her teeth. What if I broke her nose. If I hit her in one eye and she loses that. What are they going to do? They’re going to forget in three days,” Galvis said. “It’s going to be a big deal for two, three days. Everybody in TV, media, whatever. But after three days what’s going to happen? They’re going to forget. But that family won’t forget that. Do you think the little baby will forget that? It’s true life. It’s something you have to put before everything. Safety first. Safety.”

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Galvis’ strong words could make him the leading advocate for expanded netting in the future.

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