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| Stephanie Wapenski |
A
class-action lawsuit was filed today against Major League Baseball seeking measures to prevent fan injuries from bats and balls. One of the specific remedies sought is,
"a rule requiring all existing major league and minor league indoor and outdoor ballparks to be retrofitted to extend protective netting from foul pole to foul pole, by the beginning of the 2016-2017 MLB season". This sweeping request would be a
major change in overall viewing experience—since a 'foul-pole to foul-pole' approach would impact thousands of fans. The attention to the issue has been heightened by two recent incidents at Fenway Park. In June,
Tonya Carpenter suffered life-threatening injuries from shards of a broken bat hitting her. And, just last Friday,
Stephanie Wapenski was struck by a line drive—suffering a severe wound to her forehead. It will be interesting to see whether Commissioner
Rob Manfred acts quickly on this issue to avoid any further legal action.
