(CBS Local/CBS Chicago)- Wednesday night’s game between the Chicago Cubs and Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park took a scary turn in the fourth inning when a line drive foul ball off the bat of Cubs outfielder Albert Almora Jr. struck a young girl. Almora was visibly shaken after the incident, going and asking the security guard near the section about the girl after the inning ended.
Credit: Bob Levey/Getty Images
The incident ignited a conversation that has been circling around Major League Baseball over the past few years regarding fan safety. Should the league extend the protective netting even further down both baselines in order to protect fans from hard hit foul balls? The league did implement a new rule in 2018 that required teams to extend the netting to the end of the dugouts on both sides of the field of play, but several people, including Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant, think that it should be extended all the way to the foul pole.
Following the awful incident with a child getting hit by a ball in the Cubs-Astros game, Kris Bryant was unequivocal, telling ESPN that Major League Baseball needs to extend netting further down the lines to prevent hard-hit balls rocketing into the stands and injuring fans.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) May 30, 2019
Awful and completely preventable with extended netting. How many more little kids get hurt until MLB acts? https://t.co/R3XMHqOtlG
— Mike Axisa (@mikeaxisa) May 30, 2019
Awful. I won't soon forget hearing a woman scream in a quiet stadium when it happened. Please, MLB, more netting down the lines. https://t.co/HwpKaUrMIn
— Eric Karabell (@karabelleric) May 30, 2019
Bryant and commentators weren’t the only people voicing their concern last night. Fans from across the country took to Twitter after the incident to express their desire for the netting to be further expanded in order to protect fans.
It's really not that difficult, @MLB.
Actually, no… it's not difficult at all.
Full. Field. Netting.
Not that the quality of the viewing experience really matters here, but for those that will make that argument… the game looks just fine from behind a net.#MLB https://t.co/GL4EIhFpP4
— Matt Wise (@TheMattWise) May 30, 2019
Prayers up to the child who was struck by the foul ball and to Albert Almora Jr…MLB has to put more safety netting around these fields to protect the fans!!! https://t.co/aGgBQR4c7C
— Jeff Tindall (@Tinman405) May 30, 2019
It shouldn’t have to take a little girl getting hit with a foul ball, for MLB to realize that they need more netting. But besides that, what kind of parent are you to take a toddler to a game in those seats and not pay attention for something like that.. prayers 2 the family.
— The Unfortunate Cubs Fan (@CubsUnfortunate) May 30, 2019
There needs to be netting to protect fans from foul balls. A foul ball hit hard is almost as fast as a bullet. The MLB needs to keep fans safe while watching a ballgame.
— Nathan Juarez (@MillennialMan8) May 30, 2019
The call for more netting isn’t universal however as there were several fans that say the warnings on the tickets regarding the possibilities of balls and bats leaving the field of play should be enough.
@MLB WE DON'T NEED MORE NETTING!!!! There are warnings on THE TICKETS!! Kids shouldn't be there that close!!
— K Wheelz (@keith151123) May 30, 2019
Couldn't disagree more. Even before our society threw away personal responsibility a few years ago & MLB caved & extended the netting even further…there was plenty of "safe" seats if you can't pay attention/protect yourself. Where does it end? Take responsibility for yourself!
— Mike Jehle (@THEKID_) May 30, 2019
Extending netting to an already deteriorated view that began in 2018, puts @mlb at risk of losing even more die-hard fans. And they wonder why attendance has dropped the last two years
— Lance Pisowicz (@lance_pisowicz) May 30, 2019
There has been no statement as of this writing from the league regarding last night’s incident, but the Houston Astros released the following:
The Astros released the following statement. Our thoughts are with the entire family. pic.twitter.com/f1VGVP1kiu
— Houston Astros (@astros) May 30, 2019
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