The Cleveland Indians have announced they are adding more backstop netting to protect fans sitting behind the two dugouts at Progressive Field.
Other teams have also moved to prevent fans from being killed or maimed, after a young girl was badly injured in Yankee Stadium in New York late this past season when a hard-hit foul ball struck her in the face.
The batter, Todd Frazier, was shaken afterwards and called on his team to extend the netting.
“Safety is our number one priority,” said Jim Folk, Indians VP of Ballpark Operations, “and these measures should balance that commitment to safety with the interactive nature of our game, something we know is also important to our fans.”
A 100 mph line drive will travel 150 feet in one second.
The team is contacting season ticket holders who might be affected.
The protective nets will stretch to the far ends of the dugouts from Section 164 down the third-base line to Section 140 down the first-base line.
For fans more concerned about sight-lines, a team statement said the club also will use “the latest netting technology to minimize the intrusion on the live game experience at Progressive Field.”
