Reds to extend netting at GABP

[RiverRat13]

In response to the little girl who was seriously hurt at Yankee Stadium:

http://www.cincinnati.com/story/sports/mlb/reds/2017/09/21/reds-extend-netting-great-american-ball-park/690987001/

I'm guessing more announcements like this are coming.

[Tom Servo]

Glad to hear it.

[mattfeet]

About damn time.

[The Operator]

Finally.

I have no doubt that this will be met with disdain though. I'm sure there is no shortage of people with the opinion of "Hey, she should have had her eye on the ball."

[dougdirt]

This was not in response to the injury to the little girl. This has been planned, reportedly, according to Zach Buchanan.

Also, the facebook chatter on the Reds page about this is a dumpster fire that I joined in on. Read it if you dare, but for your sanity, I wouldn't.

[Roy Tucker]

Fans are so much closer than they used to be. It was either extend the nets or issue helmets and face guards. If you sit down close, a foul tip or liner is on you in nothing flat.

Glad to see it.

[BCubb2003]

If figure if it's good enough for the scouts to sit behind, it's good enough for me. And nobody's really ready for a 100+ line drive, even if they're paying attention.

[Powel Crosley]

This was not in response to the injury to the little girl. This has been planned, reportedly, according to Zach Buchanan.

Also, the facebook chatter on the Reds page about this is a dumpster fire that I joined in on. Read it if you dare, but for your sanity, I wouldn't.

That was frustrating to read. I'll never be able to wrap my head around how some people think like that.

[KronoRed]

Not going to read the facebook comments but I'm guessing "wussification" was used a lot.

[dougdirt]

Not going to read the facebook comments but I'm guessing "wussification" was used a lot.

Lots and lots of "game was played for 100 years without it" kind of stuff. To which I can't understand. They have expanded the netting since the start. They've added multiple other safety features for both the players and fans sense then, too. People are dumb and I hate them.

[Z-Fly]

I've never sat behind the net, but I think it would bother me. I assume though, after 10 min you forget it is even there. I absolutely understand why they do it. For me, I'd prefer it to not be there. Not everyone is me though. There are many women, children, and nerds that need protection.

[George Anderson]

I've never sat behind the net, but I think it would bother me. I assume though, after 10 min you forget it is even there. I absolutely understand why they do it. For me, I'd prefer it to not be there. Not everyone is me though. There are many women, children, and nerds that need protection.

They extended the netting at Victory Field this year and after 1 game I decided I wont sit in those seats again.

I don't like it but its pointless arguing about it or expressing your displeasure about it. It is what it is.

[redsfanmia]

They extended the netting at Victory Field this year and after 1 game I decided I wont sit in those seats again.

I don't like it but its pointless arguing about it or expressing your displeasure about it. It is what it is.
There are 40+million people who attend baseball games and I saw somewhere that there were 1800 injuries.

[StRedlegs900]

Lots and lots of "game was played for 100 years without it" kind of stuff. To which I can't understand. They have expanded the netting since the start. They've added multiple other safety features for both the players and fans sense then, too. People are dumb and I hate them.

Completely agree.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJXejD_FEXs

[Reds Fanatic]

It is a good idea that I really think all teams will do within the next few years. The Dayton Dragons this year expanded their nets to cover all their seats in foul territory. I heard people complain too when that move was first announced but you really don't notice it sitting behind the net. It does make you feel more comfortable especially when you have kids in those close seats with that protection because those seats are so close it is hard especially with kids to react in time to get out of the way of a line drive.

[Musketeer22]

You'd have a hard time disproving the correlation of increased cell phone use and increased injuries in foul territory at MLB games....

Just saying.

[dougdirt]

You'd have a hard time disproving the correlation of increased cell phone use and increased injuries in foul territory at MLB games....

Just saying.

You'd probably have a hard time disproving being closer to the action and guys hitting the baseball harder into foul territory and increased injuries at MLB games, too.

Just saying.

[Chip R]

You'd have a hard time disproving the correlation of increased cell phone use and increased injuries in foul territory at MLB games....

Just saying.

That little girl at the Yankees game shouldn't been on her cell phone. :rolleyes:

[RedTeamGo!]

I was at a white Sox game last month and saw a little girl hit in the head by a really hard hit line drive foul ball a few rows in front of us. Her father carried her up the steps crying as his daughter was motionless. The dad tried to stop the ball but missed and this girl was only 5 or so, so no way was she stopping it. This ball was just completely crushed. I think it just knocked her out because it didn't make the news or anything. Either way, really sad to witness, especially knowing it was unnecessary.

[Musketeer22]

You'd probably have a hard time disproving being closer to the action and guys hitting the baseball harder into foul territory and increased injuries at MLB games, too.

Just saying.

I'm in the middle on this. Not everything has to be polarizing...

With that said, as someone who sits behind the Reds dugout and pays attention to the game, the net sucks. I walked down section 129 to the 7th row the other night and counted 32 people on their phones.. in section 129. That's insane.

On the other hand, what happened at Yankee Stadium is awful and should be avoided if possible. So if putting nets up saves 1 little girl a year, great. Put the nets up.

[RedTeamGo!]

I'm in the middle on this. Not everything has to be polarizing...

With that said, as someone who sits behind the Reds dugout and pays attention to the game, the net sucks. I walked down section 129 to the 7th row the other night and counted 32 people on their phones.. in section 129. That's insane.

On the other hand, what happened at Yankee Stadium is awful and should be avoided if possible. So if putting nets up saves 1 little girl a year, great. Put the nets up.

Haha, I'm picturing some dude staring at a section and counting people on cell phones. Come on, you didn't do that.

[Musketeer22]

That little girl at the Yankees game shouldn't been on her cell phone. :rolleyes:

Give me a break. I was speaking in general terms.

If a net saves that little girl, put the nets up. I have no issue with that.

I know it's hard to fathom these days, but you can be "in the middle" on an issue.

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Haha, I'm picturing some dude staring at a section and counting people on cell phones. Come on, you didn't do that.

Ha, I counted as I walked down the aisle. Don't think that's too weird...

[Boston Red]

I think this is smart. They don't have to overdo it, but some of those seats between the current screen and the end of the dugouts are just insanely dangerous. You can't completely de-risk everything (and shouldn't try), but there are some dangers that just don't make any sense to have continue to exist.

[Griffey012]

Haha, I'm picturing some dude staring at a section and counting people on cell phones. Come on, you didn't do that.

And then getting hit with a foul ball

[mattfeet]

I've never sat behind the net, but I think it would bother me. I assume though, after 10 min you forget it is even there. I absolutely understand why they do it. For me, I'd prefer it to not be there. Not everyone is me though. There are many women, children, and nerds that need protection.

Wow, that's a pretty discriminating comment. There's also many women, children, and nerds that are capable of catching a baseball hit in the stands.

[Griffey012]

When this discussion came up last year I was against the expanded netting. My thought process was mostly about don't sit in those seats if you don't like the risk involved of foul balls and what not. If you are there for the social setting sit up behind home plate. If you have kids with you most 5 years olds are mostly there for the ice cream and cotton candy anyway, go sit in some $15 seats, etc. Doug made some excellent points on twitter that convinced me otherwise.

The main thing he pointed out is that it isn't just the issue of whether or not you pay attention, can catch, deflect, avoid the laser foul balls, it is that also you have to deal with the rest of the crowd doing the same. Guy stands up in front of you, you can't see ball, guy moves at last second, bam your face is crushed. Or guy in front of you just misses it and it deflects into your teeth.

I still prefer sitting close to the field with no barrier between me and the action, it just feels different, but I am sure I will forget about it soon enough.

[Chip R]

Give me a break. I was speaking in general terms.

If a net saves that little girl, put the nets up. I have no issue with that.

I know it's hard to fathom these days, but you can be "in the middle" on an issue.

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Ha, I counted as I walked down the aisle. Don't think that's too weird...

I'm going to hope it saves more than just a little girl. It's also going to protect fans from broken bats that fly into the stands. Look, the most expensive tickets are right behind the plate where there's been netting since RFS was in short pants. No one ever complains about those seats.

I told a little story on Twitter the other day that relates to this. A little over 15 years ago, my former girlfriend and I were sitting in the first row of the red seats at Cinergy right behind the cameras. Now, we're paying attention to the game - I may have even been keeping score. About the 3rd or 4th inning someone hits a foul ball right at us. I instinctively duck to the right and the ball took a crazy bounce and ended up hitting my girlfriend in the shin. God love her, she stuck it out for a couple of more innings but the pain got to be too much for her and she told me we had to go home. The point of the story is that even people who are paying rapt attention to the game can manage to get hit. I'm not advocating putting up netting everywhere like where we were but it just makes good sense to do it.

As for people on their cell phones, I think I've had about enough of that crap. It's not just cell phones. It's stuff on the scoreboard, it's beer vendors, it's Split the Pot people. It's just little kids who have a tough time sitting still for 3 hours with their eyes peeled on the game all the time. You could be paying attention to the game like a champ and reach down and pick up for your beer and here comes a foul ball straight at you and/or a loved one and you don't have time to react. Should we not drink at the game any more? You're sitting next to your wife or a friend and you ask them a question or vice versa or maybe you're discussing a point of strategy. Here comes a foul screamer right at you. Maybe you'll have time to duck and maybe you won't. You're at the game with your kid(s). Your kid asks about Joey Votto and you lean over to answer his question and a foul ball is coming at you. Perhaps you should just go to games by yourself so you won't be distracted.

Doug gave a good example the other day on Twitter. Let's say you're paying close attention to the game. Maybe you've even got a glove to catch foul balls. Well, her comes one right at you. You're all set to catch that sucker when someone in front of you has the same idea. He's not as adept as you so it hits his hand and changes course and hits you before you can move. You were doing everything you were supposed to do but you still got nailed. Now you're busted up and hopefully you have good insurance. So it's not just "people on their cell phones."

[Boston Red]

It's not JUST people on their cellphones.....but it's people on their cellphones.

[dougdirt]

When this discussion came up last year I was against the expanded netting. My thought process was mostly about don't sit in those seats if you don't like the risk involved of foul balls and what not. If you are there for the social setting sit up behind home plate. If you have kids with you most 5 years olds are mostly there for the ice cream and cotton candy anyway, go sit in some $15 seats, etc. Doug made some excellent points on twitter that convinced me otherwise.

The main thing he pointed out is that it isn't just the issue of whether or not you pay attention, can catch, deflect, avoid the laser foul balls, it is that also you have to deal with the rest of the crowd doing the same. Guy stands up in front of you, you can't see ball, guy moves at last second, bam your face is crushed. Or guy in front of you just misses it and it deflects into your teeth.

I still prefer sitting close to the field with no barrier between me and the action, it just feels different, but I am sure I will forget about it soon enough.

https://media0.giphy.com/media/x0wfpJqZ1Qtbi/giphy.gif

[Z-Fly]

Wow, that's a pretty discriminating comment. There's also many women, children, and nerds that are capable of catching a baseball hit in the stands.

It was a joke, carried over from yesterday in a different thread. I'm now offended that you are offended.

For the record, I am a mechanical engineer, so you could probably easily put me in the nerd circle.

[BCubb2003]

The scouts sit behind the nets and the base coaches wear helmets. I'm OK with nets.

I wonder if you could design a net that would turn the line drive into a pop up back into the stands more gently.

[Roy Tucker]

There are 80 bazillion different distractions at a ball game these days (like what Chip described).

Believe it or not, ballgames used to be solely about the game itself. A static scoreboard was about it. But times change, people change, markets change, and a ballgame is like a blinking flashing bell ringing pinball machine now (for those who remember pinball). Even inbetween inning conversation gets squelched with Kiss Cam and all the stupid contests and tv commercial mandated time between innings.

The only constant is change. But they still do play darn fine baseball.

[cincinnati chili]

I favor foul pole to foul pole netting. It's not like they're going to use a tennis net. The best ones are 97% transparent if I recall correctly. Most people's brains get used to it. If your brain is one that doesnt, then sit somewhere else. Cell phones might be part of the problem, but even if that's true, MLB tacitly encourages the use of cell phones at the game through their own apps. They have to do this on moral grounds alone IMO. Even if statutes and court precedents immunize them from massive monetary judgments.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.yahoo.com/amphtml/sports/shame-major-league-baseballs-morally-repugnant-anti-netting-excuses-042555668.html

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.yahoo.com/amphtml/sports/shame-major-league-baseballs-morally-repugnant-anti-netting-excuses-042555668.html