Major League Baseball occasionally gives expression to America’s better angels. Just look at the Seattle Mariners organization, which is prioritizing protective netting after a 2-year old girl was seriously injured by a foul ball at Yankee Stadium last month.
Safeguarding the health of children and families is priority one, as it should be.
“We still have some details to work out, but the bottom line is expanded netting at Safeco Field is going to happen,” said Seattle Mariners president Kevin Mather. Safeco Field’s netting is likely to extend to the ends of the dugouts, the team announced in a statement.
New York’s Todd Frazier, who hit the foul ball that day, wept, as did other players at the game. The first thing Frazier said to reporters was that “every stadium” needed to have extended netting.
The injured child, slammed in the face, suffered several facial fractures along with bleeding on the brain. The child’s father told The New York Times that he hoped the incident would prompt the Yankees to enhance safety by expanding its ballpark netting. And the Yankees quickly announced that they would do just that by the start of the 2018 season, not only at Yankee Stadium but at their spring-training park as well.
The incident has had a ripple effect, with San Diego, Cincinnati and Colorado also announcing protective measures. (Ten MLB teams out of 30 total already had adequate netting in place.)
So, what of the deep-pocketed fans who — heaven forfend — may have their views diminished, as if serenely gazing through a diaphanous web? They will keep the faith, God willing, elevated by the knowledge that it represents the greater good, not to mention they’re less likely to get beaned.
The Mariners recently wrapped up their current home schedule. It may not have been a season to write home about, but that’s OK. The Mariners are more than a business; they are a reflection of their fans, as we are of them.
