Senators send letter to MLB commissioner urging change

Protective netting at all ballparks was expanded in before the 2018 season by Major League Baseball and commissioner Rob Manfred, but after several recent foul ball injuries, two senators want Manfred to go farther.

Illinois senators Tammy Duckworth and Dick Durbin have sent a letter to Manfred, obtained by the Chicago Sun-Times, asking that all 30 MLB teams further extend the protective netting at their ballparks to prevent fans from being struck by foul balls. The letter was delivered Thursday, urging Manfred and all MLB teams to put fan safety first and install more netting before the end of the season. From the letter:

MLB and every team should expedite plans to extend netting to further protect fans. As several teams have demonstrated, these safety improvements don’t have to wait until next season.

Players are hitting balls with a velocity of more than 100 miles per hour onto the field and into the seated areas. A Bloomberg analysis found nearly 1,800 people annually have suffered foul ball-related injuries while attending games. Extended netting could help prevent many of these injuries.

We appreciate the effort MLB and individual teams have taken so far for the safety of fans. However it is clear the current extended netting is not sufficient to protect fans from serious injury or death. We hope all teams will follow the leadership of the White Sox, Nationals, Dodgers, and Rangers in this matter.

12 PHOTOSProtective netting at MLB ballparksSee GalleryProtective netting at MLB ballparksTORONTO, ON – JULY 1: A view of the new extended safety netting installed this season above the home dugout during the Toronto Blue Jays MLB game against the Detroit Tigers at Rogers Centre on July 1, 2018 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images) *** Local Caption ***BOSTON – JULY 10: Boston Red Sox player Mookie Betts reaches around the new protective netting for fans to sign some autographs before the start of the game. The Boston Red Sox host the Texas Rangers in a regular season MLB baseball game at Fenway Park in Boston on July 10, 2018. (Photo by Jim Davis/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)NEW YORK, NY – JUNE 10: Greg Bird #33 of the New York Yankees leaps into the protective netting surrounding the infield as he tries to catch a foul ball in an interleague MLB baseball game against the New York Mets on June 10, 2018 at Citi Field in the Queens borough of New York City. Mets won 2-0. (Photo by Paul Bereswill/Getty Images)TORONTO, ON – MAY 19: A young fan chews on the safety netting newly installed this season before the MLB game between the Oakland Athletics and the Toronto Blue Jays on May 19, 2018 at Rogers Centre in Toronto, ON. (Photo by Jeff Chevrier/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)CINCINNATI, OH – MAY 22: General view of netting in front of the stands during a game between the Cincinnati Reds and Pittsburgh Pirates at Great American Ball Park on May 22, 2018 in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Reds won 7-2. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) *** Local Caption ***MINNEAPOLIS, MN – MAY 31: The netting is seen as Jake Odorizzi #12 of the Minnesota Twins delivers a pitch against the Cleveland Indians during the game on May 31, 2018 at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Indians defeated the Twins 9-8. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)Seattle Mariners catcher Mike Marjama falls against the backstop netting chasing a foul ball hit by Kansas City Royals’ Mike Moustakas in the first inning on Tuesday, April 10, 2018, at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Mo. (John Sleezer/Kansas City Star/TNS via Getty Images)BOSTON, MA – APRIL 8: The newly installed netting is shown during a game between the Boston Red Sox and the Tampa Bay Rays on April 8, 2018 at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)BALTIMORE, MD – APRIL 9: Newly installed safety netting frames up pitcher Ryan Tepera #52 of the Toronto Blue Jays as he warms up against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on April 9, 2018 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)BOSTON, MA – APRIL 8: The newly installed netting is shown during a game between the Boston Red Sox and the Tampa Bay Rays on April 8, 2018 at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)DENVER, CO – APRIL 05: New safety netting in place that stretches out to the end of both dugouts at Coors Field April 05, 2018 before the Colorado Rockies open their season at home to play the Atlanta Braves Friday afternoon. (Photo by Andy Cross/The Denver Post via Getty Images)BOSTON, MA – APRIL 8: The newly installed netting is shown during a game between the Boston Red Sox and the Tampa Bay Rays on April 8, 2018 at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)Up Next

See Gallery

This call for action is in response to the scary incident that happened at the Houston Astros stadium on May 29. A foul ball hit by Chicago Cubs player Albert Almora Jr. struck a 2-year-old girl, who suffered a skull fracture and seizures as a result. Another fan was struck by a foul ball less than two weeks later at Guaranteed Rate Field in Chicago, and a third fan was struck at Dodger Stadium in late June.

The Astros have said they are still “studying” the netting issue, and despite the tragic accident that happened at their ballpark, will not make any changes to the protective netting at Minute Maid Park until after the season. But several teams have already announced plans to extend the netting to the far right and left corners of their ballparks, with several set to happen before the season is over. The Chicago White Sox, Washington Nationals, Texas Rangers, and Los Angeles Dodgers have announced netting extensions in the past several weeks, and the Pittsburgh Pirates announced their plans on Thursday.

More from Yahoo Sports:

  • USWNT needs Alex Morgan to step up vs. France

  • Report: Celtics are the favorite to land Walker

  • Sources: Hill meets with NFL over child abuse charges

  • Heath not a fan of European women’s soccer: ‘Boring’

Source: Read Full Article