Baseball is one of America’s greatest traditions, so much so that it is fondly referred to as “America’s pastime.” For centuries, fans of all ages and races have come together to enjoy a leisurely afternoon at the ballpark with friends, family, or by themselves. However, there have been a number of growing concerns about fan safety measures at games because of the number of fan injuries in the past year. Major League Baseball needs to increase safety measures for fans by putting up more safety netting because the number of injuries has gone up from the 1750 fans injured in 2014(no exact count for 2014)(Glovin), injuries are becoming more serious, and stadiums are constantly adding new attractions that, in large part, only serve to distract
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Although one might not get injured at a game, seeing another fan struck by a foul ball or broken bat and being carried out on a stretcher with blood leaking onto their shirt can ruin the atmosphere and the experience of the whole game for other fans. While the odds of death due to a foul ball or broken bat are astronomically low, it is still a chance, and there are enough foul balls hit each year that it is just a matter of time before one of these severe injuries turn into a tragedy. While the extending screens could potentially inconvenience fans (even though the inconvenience would most likely be incredibly small), it is better to extend the netting so that fans are not seriously injured. As USA Today writer Bob Nightengale put it, “You can get used to inconvenience. You can never become immune to tragedy.” Although the netting will not entirely eliminate fan injuries, it will severely limit the amount of severe injuries and possibly even prevent fatal ones, because fans without protection will be farther away from the plate, have more time to react, and the ball will have slowed down by the time it reaches them. Despite the potential inconvenience and the large expenses required to extend the netting, the extra protection for fans is worth
Although one might not get injured at a game, seeing another fan struck by a foul ball or broken bat and being carried out on a stretcher with blood leaking onto their shirt can ruin the atmosphere and the experience of the whole game for other fans. While the odds of death due to a foul ball or broken bat are astronomically low, it is still a chance, and there are enough foul balls hit each year that it is just a matter of time before one of these severe injuries turn into a tragedy. While the extending screens could potentially inconvenience fans (even though the inconvenience would most likely be incredibly small), it is better to extend the netting so that fans are not seriously injured. As USA Today writer Bob Nightengale put it, “You can get used to inconvenience. You can never become immune to tragedy.” Although the netting will not entirely eliminate fan injuries, it will severely limit the amount of severe injuries and possibly even prevent fatal ones, because fans without protection will be farther away from the plate, have more time to react, and the ball will have slowed down by the time it reaches them. Despite the potential inconvenience and the large expenses required to extend the netting, the extra protection for fans is worth