Last September, Todd Frazier ripped a foul ball into the stands at Yankee Stadium, striking and injuring a young girl.

It wasn't the first time someone had been hit by a foul ball, but it seemed to be a spark that lit a larger fire, with demands for more protection for fans at games. It did bring about a bit of controversy, with people complaining that additional netting would block their view of the game, but Major League Baseball has made safety the priority, announcing that all stadiums will have new netting extending from dugout to dugout by Opening Day of the 2018 season.

Ten teams had already expanded their nets, with eleven more planning to do so by this April. Now, all 30 MLB teams will be on the same page when it comes to the protective netting.

My opinion hasn't really changed since the Frazier incident; as the father of a young child, there is no way I would take her to a game until she was older. You do need to be paying attention the action on the field, and bringing a kid just creates too much distraction. That said, even paying full attention, I've sat along the first and third base lines, and those foul balls can come screaming at 100+ mph.

As far as the people who complain that the netting blocks their view...I've also sat right behind home plate at Yankee Stadium, and look at this picture:

Cleveland Indians v New York Yankees
Nick Laham/Getty Images
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C'mon man, IT'S A NET, YOU CAN SEE THROUGH IT. The only thing you really see is the edge, where the blackness is a bit thicker, but if that tiny sliver would "ruin" your view, then there might be something wrong with your vision. You get less visibility sitting in the middle deck due to the overhang, so a simple net shouldn't be an issue. The people sitting behind home plate can deal with it, so can you. You don't like it, go sit in the outfield or just don't go to the game.

I don't think we need to go the extreme of going foul pole to foul pole, or turning things into a hockey rink with plexiglass boards...but running from dugout to dugout keeps more people safe, helps more people enjoy the game, and is totally fine with me.

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