Michael Kay

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Two recent incidents of fans injured by rogue baseballs during Major League games, sparks a debate on safety. So What 's The Solution if it disables The Game -time, the accidents that have seen Some of the fans, or even to be killed, asks Jonathan Berr.

Despite the Houston Astros ' success this season, watching them play at Minute Maid Park was a painful experience for Some .

In may, a Ball by the Chicago Cubs outfielder Albert Amora, Jr. proposed a two-year-old girl. Another Ball flew from the bat of Astros slugger Michael Brantley on 13. October and met paramedic Brian Cariota. Both players were horrified by the accidents.

According to U.S. media reports, The Girl is recovering at home and Cariota is expected to leave The Hospital in a few days.

A recent study of More Than 800 reports of fan injuries, the Major League Baseball (MLB) games between 2012 and 2019.

Not all fans come to games prepared, you have balls to catch, like this

for decades, MLB has warned fans warned in game tickets about the risk of getting hit by baseballs flying into The Stands , Some of which can travel over 90 mph (150km/h). Fans of their tickets may exchange it for a less exposed places.

There are also signs that, in the stadiums of the risks of batted balls and bats from slipping out of players hands.

But Bob Gorman, the author of death at the Ballpark, a book that Chronicles how the teams deal with fan injuries and deaths, argues that baseball is the playing down of the risks of foul balls - the term is used to describe any baseball that is not in play, even those who do not wind up in The Stands where the fans sit.

"I just don't think you want that information," Gorman told the Bbc .

"If people knew how serious the problem was, there is a cry of indignation would be about it. Your concern, in my opinion, is the financial. "

MLB spokesman declined to comment for this story.

data compiled for Nbc News by the Elias Sports Bureau, the average number of foul shows-balls per game, hit 53. 8 in The First half of the 2019 season, The Most in 20 years.

Elias vertebrae of the average number of round 1. 31. Unlike home runs, the wind-up in foul balls count towards a team score.

Baseball teams enjoy broad legal protection against claims by the Disclaimer on game tickets and stages. But The Rise of Social Media means that image-conscious-and in teams-to-action, and the players are also Express.

Since the may accident in Houston, 13 teams have announced plans for expansion of netting protection in their stadiums. Other teams expected that similar announcements in the coming months.

"We will evaluate where we are after we give associations the opportunity to make the changes on their own," Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred Michael Kay Show radio told program. "We have a ton of progress on this issue in The Last four or five years, and we continue to make progress. "

Unfortunately, distractions are abundant in the ballparks, the panels also have a digital display and yell vendors running around on the bleachers. There is also, advertised as a "mobile companion when visiting your favorite Major League Baseball ballparks".

Dwayne Sowa is among the fans of cruel injuries suffered.

He was struck in The Head by a foul Ball in Philadelphia's citizens Bank Park in 2014, when you purchase a beer from a dealer. His wife, Kelly, heard the cracking sound of its skull.

"It was the worst sound she ever heard," Sowa told the Bbc , adding that he is embarrassed at first, because he had failed to catch The Ball .

A computer image of Dwayne Sowa skull showed the extent of his fracture

Sowa was in The Hospital for 10 days and underwent to reconstruct the Operation, his forehead.

He received two tickets for a game and an autographed baseball signed by Phillies' second baseman Jimmy Rollins , who was responsible for The Ball , the beaten Sowa. He met Rollins and has no grudge against him.

The 49-year-old left The Game early because he couldn't stand The Noise . He received no financial compensation for The Accident , says Sowa, has him unable to. He is suffering from "rage issues" and currently receives the Federal disability equality act payments.

"you have my Ball , but would not be prohibited to write the check for my surgery," he said.

The Phillies have not apologized or asked well-being, according to Sowa, he claims. When his story appeared on the ABC-TV, the Phillies announced that it will expand the netting in the citizens Bank Park from the beginning of the season 2020.

A spokesman for the Phillies declined to comment.

According to Gorman, Sowa situation is far from unusual.

"There are both physical and psychological consequences for the fans seriously injured by balls or bats," he says.

"they are Often left with injuries such as the loss or distortion of vision, recurrent severe headaches, permanent scarring, and so on. I know Some that have lost an eye, for Example . "

To be sure, many fans enjoy The Hunt for a foul Ball . Bring baseball gloves to the games to catch them. Stadiums erupt in tumultuous applause when someone made a particularly good catch. Conversely, the fans boo people when they screw up to catch a.

Zach Hample, author of three books on baseball, has a slide Mixed Feelings about the sports safety. While he supports the need to protect the fans from potentially dangerous balls, he argues that the extra power makes tissue it is more difficult for the fans to interact with the players.

"A lot of people are really, really not happy about it," said Hample, who has A Collection of over 6,000 baseballs, and offers tips for souvenir-hunters on his YouTube channel.

author Zach Hample has an impressive collection of baseballs

"It is not only the collector, but casual fans. The netting is very Intrusive. Teams always say, to see that it can be easily through the netting. The it is not. "

author Jayson Stark of a US sports website That is Sporty also concerned that the improvement of The Fan could affect safety, The Relationship between fans and players.

"this Will change The Fan experience? Of course," it is," says Strong.

"We will miss it, the moments where first basemen are up and running from The Field after the third out of an inning, and in the hand a baseball to a child.

"We will miss it, the moments where The Ball girl or Ball Boy down the left-field or right-field line to scoop a foul Ball , and the hand of a child. The special, life-long memories, and I have a twinge of sadness, they are a thing of The Past . "

The changes, although necessary, are Strongly believes.

"Fan safety has to this sports top priority. So, whatever it takes to make that happen, that what needs to be done. "

united states

Source of news: bbc.com