All of Us Act Now and Let’s Fix This Foul Ball Crisis
By: Jordan Skopp
Tags: Fans, Foul Ball, Baseball, Injury, MLB

Carlos Correa #1 of the Houston Astros reacts after a paramedic on the Astros bench was hit by a foul ball during game two of the American League Championship Series at Minute Maid Park on October 13, 2019 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images)

Professional baseball continues to suffer from ongoing denial about the risks posed to fans by dangerous foul balls entering the stands at 100 miles per hour, causing serious injuries and financial burdens on the victims and their loved ones.

Although the World Series is over, the campaign of foul ball denial in baseball journalism continues.

During the MLB playoffs last month, there were two devastating foul ball injuries in the Houston Astros stadium — despite their attempt to make the game safer for fans with extended netting. ESPN even lauded the fact that the final two teams had extended netting. “The Astros and Nationals have both taken a leadership role in the enhancement of fan safety and the enjoyment of the game. It is fitting that they should meet in the World Series,” an ESPN correspondent said.

But that didn’t matter to the two victims who were hit. A paramedic was seriously injured in the dugout during game 2 of the AL Championship series and spent two nights in the hospital, and a college student was hit in the mouth by a foul ball in game 6 of the series and couldn’t eat solid food for two weeks. Both victims are still recovering from their injuries, and will continue to face the trauma for the rest of their lives. Many other victims have been unable to return to the ballpark due to the traumatic effects of getting hit.

This is an epidemic in the national pastime, with at least 16 fans maimed this past regular season by foul balls in Major League Baseball. Yet, MLB continues to hide behind the antiquated Baseball Rule, which places the assumption of risk on unsuspecting fans, putting those who are injured at risk of financial ruin.

Meanwhile, baseball journalists and broadcasters are largely ignoring this issue, and failing to educate fans about assumed risk and the Baseball Rule. Why haven’t any of the beat writers been assigned to leave the press box and go down into the stands to check on the fans every time there’s a close call, an opportunity to create more awareness of assumed risk. This is a failure of journalistic responsibility that has made a dangerous situation much worse.

How about during the off-season, the beat writers start to organize a petition calling on professional baseball and building safety departments to work together to make the necessary safety changes immediately? That can help to elevate the issue among fans, creating a groundswell of support for action. All media personnel and journalists should sign it.

And all journalists should encourage their editors to publish op-eds like the Washington Post has, further increasing awareness of this issue and pressure on the league to act.

Quite simply, there is insufficient protective netting at the vast majority of U.S. baseball stadiums to protect fans. We’re continuing to give the fans a false sense of security with this piecemeal approach.

Let’s get the building inspectors out to review the safety risks at every baseball stadium. Let them see all the data and the statistics that have been compiled by MLB teams about risky seating areas. Let’s get them involved in how to ensure safety for all fans.

Professional leagues, team owners, and journalists need to be held accountable for failing to solve this problem for many decades, resulting in the loss of their credibility, and a stain that has forever sullied the national pastime.

This is quickly becoming a national disgrace. Where are the whistleblowers we need to come forward and fix this before it’s too late?

Come on, all journalists — step up. Circulate a petition like the model below and start to demonstrate your commitment to protecting present and future spectators.

DRAFT PETITION (Start here: https://www.change.org/start-a-petition)

I work in professional journalism, and I agree that there needs to be more extended protective netting at all professional baseball stadiums to protect fans from dangerous foul balls. I want the major and minor leagues and stadium owners to ensure a safe environment for fans of all ages and abilities to enjoy the great game of baseball.

______________________ Signature. _______________________ Name. ___________ Date.

My previous work on this issue:

October 29 Medium.com article: https://medium.com/jordan-skopp/fans-campaign-to-challenge-mlb-to-protect-fans-from-dangerous-foul-ball-injuries-and-abolish-the-350682a3ac8b

October 23 Medium.com article: https://medium.com/jordan-skopp/foul-play-all-baseball-media-all-wrong-all-the-time-cb0fcae99ca2

October 3 Medium.com article: https://medium.com/jordan-skopp/foul-balls-and-failed-responsibility-more-evidence-of-baseball-leagues-failure-to-protect-fans-32bd4bb0b0b5

September 26 Medium.com article: https://medium.com/jordan-skopp/when-will-major-league-baseball-fix-the-veritable-kill-zone-for-fans-c5f8293c9287

September 11 Medium.com article: https://medium.com/jordan-skopp/major-league-silence-and-excuses-from-baseball-teams-and-broadcasters-keep-the-public-at-risk-51cc05d53af5

September 5 Medium.com article: https://medium.com/jordan-skopp/enough-is-enough-is-enough-mlb-is-complicit-in-dangerous-foul-ball-deaths-and-injuries-and-the-36abdb32361f

August 28 Medium.com article: https://medium.com/@SkoppJordan/as-congressional-investigation-looms-over-foul-ball-injuries-to-baseball-fans-brooklyn-realtor-a64ab01662fa

August 20 press release: bit.ly/2MsLJN8

August 13 press release: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/baseball-as-calls-grow-for-action-on-fan-foul-ball-injuries-brooklyn-realtor-extends-offer-to-pay-for-extended-protective-netting-at-stadiums-300900454.html

August 6th press release: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/citing-baseball-fan-injury-epidemic-from-foul-balls-brooklyn-realtor-offers-to-pay-cost-to-install-protective-netting-at-mets-and-yankees-stadiums-300896724.html