Manfred could mandate netting for all clubs
Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred said Tuesday night that can envision a day when he might use his executive authority to enforce that all major league clubs install protective netting in stadiums, if clubs don’t take the initiative to do so on their own.
“I could see a situation in which we do that. I’m not saying I’m gonna do it. But I could see a situation in which that would happen,” said Manfred.
Manfred’s remarks are a departure from comments he has made earlier this year, in which he has referred to challenges teams have making that decision since all stadiums have different designs.
But the issue of protective netting in big league ballparks has been a lightning rod talking point all year, especially after a young girl was struck by a foul ball off the bat of Todd Frazier at Yankee Stadium last month. The girl, who has not been named, was hospitalized for five days at NewYork-Presbyterian Columbia, according to a New York Times report.
Immediately following the incident, several teams including Cincinnati and Seattle issued statements that said they would expand protective netting in 2018, but the Yankees remained silent on the issue until this past weekend, when they released a press release saying they would expand protective netting for next season.
The Mets and nine other clubs had taken those safety measures already this season, with Citi Field getting expanded HOWARD SIMMONS/ DAILY NEWS netting after the All-Star break. In addition to the girl struck at the Stadium, a man was hit in the temple in May at the Stadium, a shot that came off the bat of Aaron Judge.
Manfred was asked if fans would be discouraged from coming to games because of the obstructed or blocked views due to the expanded netting.
“I don’t know about would not come to ballgames. (Is the) preference not to be behind nets? Yeah, there are a lot of people that express that view,” said Manfred.