thependulumswings

It’s cool inside of Oracle Arena, home of the Golden State Warriors.  But, it will heat up tonight during the NBA Finals game three v. the Toronto Raptors as one team looks to take control of the one game apiece, tied series.  It’s cold inside of the TD Garden, home of the Boston Bruins.  But, it will heat up tonight during  the NHL Finals game five v. the St Louis Blues as one team looks to take control of the two games apiece, tied series.

Meanwhile, it’s either cool inside of a few indoor MLB stadiums, or hot as Hades outside in many outdoor MLB stadiums as the baseball season heads head long into the dog days of summer.  Most teams are about 62 games deep into a 162 game schedule.  If you sweat a lot, you’re thinking, “cool, just 100 hot ones to go.”

But something has heated up in the last week in baseball stadiums coast to coast, and it isn’t just the weather.  It’s a debate as to whether or not stadiums coast to coast need to add protective netting beyond the current span of 70 or so feet of the first and third base lines as each team is currently mandated to do so by MLB.

What caused this sudden, additional call for fan safety?  It was a screaming line drive foul ball hit just last week in Minute Maid Park, home of the Houston Astros, during their game versus the Chicago Cubs.  The foul ball struck a little girl at the game.  Hard.  The events at last night’s game were extremely upsetting,” MLB said in a statement.

“Events?”  It was one event and we wouldn’t call it an event.  We might call it an unfortunate incident.  We might call it an accident.  Heaven forbid, if she died from the “event” we might call it a tragedy.

The girl, who has not been identified, was hit by a ball off the bat of Cubs center fielder Albert Almora Jr. during Chicago’s game with the Astros.  At Wednesday’s game, Almora Jr. was visibly distraught after he hit the ball foul, falling to his knees at home plate in pure anguish.

“We send our best wishes to the child and family involved,” the MLB statement said.  That sounds so heartfelt, doesn’t it?  You need to say something nice, but legally it stops there.  Speaking of there, it’s plainly written right there, on the back of every single ticket,  that MLB assumes no liability for injuries to fans attending.   It further states that it’s the fans responsibility to stay very alert for balls leaving the field of play.

This “event” got a bit more attention than the normal “event” of a fan getting hit by a foul ball.  It was a cute (can you still say that?) little girl injured, and it was a very sympathetic Almora who broke down emotionally in front of a national TV audience while inquiring about the girl’s well being.

“Clubs have significantly expanded netting and their inventory of protected seats in recent years. With last night’s event in mind, we will continue our efforts on this important issue,” the league said in its statement.  All clubs complied with the above 70 foot mandate by 2018.

So, where do safety needs/nets end?  Where do legal needs end?  And, where does common sense begin?  And, when did we realize that foul balls can hurt (and in rare instances kill) if you don’t somehow protect yourself?  Who knows where all of the answers to these questions connect into one sensible one?  Recency bias aside please.

Smoking went from ok, to designated areas, to arrest for smoking in non designated areas, to no designated areas.  Good idea?  For sure.   Drinking went from as many as you want, to limit of two per customer per transaction, to no alcohol served after the seventh inning.  Good idea?  Mostly.

Nets went from none, to directly behind home plate, to down first and third.  Do you need them around the entire field?  Do you need taller walls around the base of each level of stands to stop people from falling down to the next level?  National sentiment is that the more big brother can help us the better.

In short, where do you stop helping people who should be able to help themselves?  And, ask them to help themselves?

We like a clear view of the game in front of us.  If you cannot protect yourself and your loved ones we suggest that you sit where Bob Uecker used to.  Just be careful not to sit close to the “front row” and fall to the next one.

Uecker could see just fine from way up there.   “Hey, he missed the tag.  He missed the tag.”  Of course there was no net back then.