Another charm of spectator sports in America may be passing
from the scene in the name of safety.
After the report of another spectator being hit by a foul
ball while attending a major league baseball game this past weekend, the Los
Angeles Dodgers are joining several other teams, including the Chicago White
Sox and Texas Rangers, in extending the protective netting at Chavez Ravine.
Whether the Dodgers would go the way of having the netting stretch from foul
pole to foul pole remains to be seen, but it wouldn’t be surprising that all of
“organized baseball” has such provisions in place by 2021 at the latest.
While this does address safety concerns, this netting will
cut down drastically the amount of game-played baseballs going into the stands.
For over a century, one of the special attractions of attending a contest is
the opportunity to snag a foul ball as a souvenir, and seeing kids of all ages
bringing baseball mitts to games in order to try and catch a foul ball – or even
a home run ball when sitting in the outfield bleachers – has been a part of
Americana.
In addition, teams should be able to cut down on expenses
with this extended netting. There will be fewer baseballs needed for every
game, and liability costs for those hurt by foul balls will be reduced as well.
That should improve the bottom line for these clubs, but of course, the savings
won’t be passed on to the paying customers in the form of lower ticket prices.
We should not be so naïve as to believe that.
Catching a souvenir baseball may become as passé as nabbing
a hockey puck that goes into the stands, a custom that has become rare ever
since the death of a fan hit by such a projectile at a Columbus Blue Jackets
game nearly a decade ago, which triggered extending protective netting behind
each goal.
Let’s not go into the netting that gets pulled up during
field goal attempts in gridiron football. At least that has cut down on the
brawls in the stands trying to get a souvenir football.
It may be safer to attend a game soon, but just like the end
of the knothole in a wooden fence that kids used to line up around to peek into
a baseball game, the passing of traditionally nabbing a souvenir ball or puck
is sad to see.
Thanks!
