FoulBallSafetyNow.com, the campaign founded by lifetime baseball fan Jordan Skopp to raise awareness about fan safety, released a study today on the status of safety netting at Major League Baseball’s (MLB’s) 30 ballparks – along with an analysis of how well the league communicates the risks of foul ball injuries and the whereabouts of safety netting to fans who purchase tickets.
The first-of-its-kind study indicates that:
- Dangerous conditions remain at major league stadiums throughout the country, and fans are still exposed to high-speed line-drive foul balls beyond the dugouts in many stadiums.
- The individual MLB teams are failing to communicate, (sometimes even diminishing) information about the status of protective netting and fan safety with regards to dangerous foul balls and risk of serious injury or death.
- This inconsistent approach to fan safety clearly indicates the need for an independent review outside of MLB’s influence. Congress and state lawmakers should take action to address and correct MLB’s ongoing disregard for fan safety.
Here are some highlights from the study:
- Only 3 out of 30 teams include the word “netting” in the URL in their seating chart. These three teams provide either visual or text indications of the status of netting. However, as can be seen for the Reds and Indians, a liability disclaimer is repeated noting that “ticket holder assumes all risk of injury.”
- Many fans purchase tickets through third-party website vendors where there is often no information on which seats are protected by netting.
- Only 1 MLB team website provides information about the height of the netting (Atlanta Braves seating chart says: “Height of netting is 31.5 feet.” It isn’t clear if this is consistent for all netted areas.)
- Dodger Stadium, where Linda Goldbloom was killed in the loge section by a foul ball that sailed over the net, raised their netting a year after that 2018 incident, but their MLB.com website notably does not provide any details about the status of netting, and the Dodgers box office was not available when FBSN called to inquire.
- Whether the rest of the league has done anything to address concerns about the height of netting is unknown.
Jordan Skopp, founder of Foul Ball Safety Now, which hosts a public petition addressed to MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred demanding immediate action to protect fans, says the MLB is not doing their job when it comes to fan safety.
“The MLB continues to ignore the moral imperative to protect their customers, and this analysis shows that the situation remains a dangerous mess. More and more fans will be returning to stadiums throughout MLB and the minor leagues this summer, and their lives are still in danger due to this ongoing failure to inform,” said Skopp.
In addition to the study findings – that were compiled by analyzing each team’s website and during conversations with box-offices at parks across the country, the enclosed report also includes:
- Detailed information on each individual stadium.
- Quotes from players themselves who will not let their families sit in certain seats because of the danger posed by foul balls.
To read the full study, visit: https://www.foulballsafetynow.com/
About Jordan Skopp
Jordan Skopp is a baseball fan, stadium safety advocate, and author of an upcoming book detailing foul ball injuries at professional parks and what can be done to ensure fan safety. Skopp is the founder of foulballsafetynow.com.
