Yankees Fan Getting Hit with Foul Should Lead to Extended Netting
By David Hill
On Wednesday, a young fan was struck by a foul ball in the stands off the bat of Yankees third baseman Todd Frazier. That frightening incident should be enough to lead Major League Baseball making extended netting mandatory around the game.
It was a frightening scene at Yankee Stadium in the bottom of the fifth inning on Wednesday. Yankees third baseman Todd Frazier fouled a ball down the left field line into the stands, striking a young fan. Emergency personnel were immediately called over, and play on the field stopped for several minutes. Players were in tears, praying that the young fan would be fine.
While the condition of the fan has yet to be revealed, it was quite the harrowing experience. Play resumed, yet a palpable pall hung over the action. The game felt subdued, as the health of that young fan was in the back of the mind of everyone present.
And yet, this was an incident that could have been avoided. Throughout the game, there have been calls to extend the netting protecting fans from projectiles going into the stands, be it a foul ball or a bat. Yes, it is a hazard of the game, and a risk that has been taken for over 100 years. However, that does not mean that everything should remain the same.
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The last thing that Major League Baseball, or any of their franchises, should want is a horrific injury to a fan due to a lack of protective netting. Look back to when the NHL extended their netting over the glass when Brittanie Cecil was struck in the head by a puck deflected into the stands. She suffered a fractured skull and had a torn vertebral artery, leading to her death just two days before her 14th birthday.
It should not necessitate a tragedy such as what happened at that fateful Columbus Blue Jackets to make extended netting mandatory. Instead, incidents such as these, where a young fan is struck by a foul ball or a bat flies into the stands, that should lead to these changes being made. It should not take a tragedy or the loss of a life.
As it is, this incident did not need to happen. The Yankees have refused to extend the netting several times, a decision which looks even worse in the aftermath of Wednesday’s foul ball. This is no longer a matter of fans not paying attention; it is a matter of protecting those who may not be able to react in time, but want to enjoy a ballgame.
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It is time that the netting surrounding the baseball diamond be extended to protect the fans. Major League Baseball should not wait for a tragedy to make this mandatory.