…before Major League Baseball releases a statement that they have outlawed tossing balls into the stands?
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28 comments on “So how long, do you think…”
Probably sometime before or during today’s game on FOX.
I don’t see how they could outlaw tossing balls into the stands so long as foul balls and home runs have the potential for an outcome similar to what happened in Texas.
Unless they want to put netting up all around the stadium like they have directly behind home plate, so no balls ever make it to the seats.
Hopefully never.
What happened was stupid, but not Baseball’s fault.
If people wouldn’t do stupid things to get a baseball, like say leaning to far over a railing that they should be staying behind and not even touching, well, Darwin at work….
We are rapidly becoming a nation of helpless babies encased in giant plastic bubbles. How did I ever survive going to baseball games in the ’80s and ’90s without such caring business professionals and their armies of lawyers looking out for our collective well-being?
One would think that with a 20-foot drop to solid concrete in that location a net would have been installed a long time ago.
The wire baskets that line the outfield walls of the Wrigley Field bleachers were added for two reasons: First, to make home runs a little easier to hit. But the second, and probably most important reason, was to keep fans from reaching for fly balls and falling onto the field.
Russ, we agree about something! The poor gentleman caused his fall with the way he went after the ball; but why is there that large of a gap between the stands and the scoreboard? The gap should either be enclosed or covered with a net. It seems to be a design flaw and the Rangers are probably lucky that it hasn’t happened before.
Doug, when the Ballpark in Arlington was first built, that outfield scoreboard was designed as a nostalgia throwback, and had manually replaced number panels. So, the gap was there for personnel to make the updates as necessary. Ballpark renovations in the past few years have replaced the manual scoreboard with an electronic one that mimics the look of the original.
.
–Daryl
They just need to limit ticket sales to folks with a working knowledge of gravity.
You all suck. Yeah, it was a stupid thing to do, but this was a human being that lost their life. Show SOME dignity.
They haven’t already? I see crazier on the news everyday.
So I don’t follow baseball, and thus had to look up just what you guys are referring to.
.
Quickly found a news story about a Texas firefighter who fell out of the stands at a Texas Rangers game, dated July 8 . . . 2010.
.
Yes, this exact same thing happened a year ago, down to the friggin’ profession of the victim, only that guy fell further and LIVED.
.
Stranger than fiction, no?
You’d think a firefighter would have more intellignet risk/reward assessment skills…
It was already outlawed, it was just a rule that was never enforced…
Though my understanding is it was more to prevent mobs of people attacking each other for balls, than for what occured in this instance.
Don’t know, and certainly a tragedy.
But you know it’s a Mets fan who post something about baseball today and it’s not Jeter’s 3000th. 😀
They used to have a tarp in that gap by the scoreboard and the wall, but removed it due to fans trying to get in there to pick up home run balls. The railing height exceeds the height standards ( 33″ now vs 26″ recommended ), yet an accident still happened. The guy who fell last year, a firefighter as well, survived because he fell on some people.
Any bets that the tarp, or a net with mesh big emough to permit the passage of a ball but not people, is back in place there within the week?
So instead of the recommended barely-two-feet high, it’s less-than-three-feet high. This would barely have a shot of keeping MY 5’7″ frame from tumbling if I managed to overreach myself, let alone his, what, 6’5″ or somesuch frame?
.
There should’ve been a net there. Or a higher railing. Or both. I’m sure they could’ve figured out a net that would keep people from climbing over to get the balls (make it more of a mesh than a net, and angled so most of them roll off to the side where they plunk safely to the ground, maybe?)
.
Yes, what happened was a tragedy. Yes, the guy who leaned too far over and overbalanced was an idiot. But MLB shouldn’t make this in any way, shape, or form an outlawed act. However, teams should use some form of common sense in designing these things.
“This would barely have a shot of keeping MY 5’7″ frame from tumbling if I managed to overreach myself, let alone his, what, 6’5″ or somesuch frame?”
The point of the railing is to STAY BEHIND IT! NOT to lean over it…
“There should’ve been a net there. Or a higher railing. Or both.”
Or an IQ test to buy tickets….
“But MLB shouldn’t make this in any way, shape, or form an outlawed act.” Now you’re on the right track
From what I’ve seen and read, baseball has not come close to seriously considering banning tossing baseballs into the stands.
.
As others have stated, home runs and foul balls carry an element of “risk” as well.
.
Plus, tossing balls into the stands was a goodwll gesture from players to fans after the tter strike of 1994-95. It is a way for layers and fans to connect in a small way and for some to get a souvenir and one unfortunate tragedy should not – and likely won’t – result in a ban.
Maybe they will just outlaw firemen at baseball games?
Can’t we just outlaw stupidity instead?
Or Baseball? I mean, it’s criminally boring…
I have one word to say to you about Baseball being boring.
Cricket.
I’ll see your cricket and raise you Curling…
Can’t we all agree that all three suck terribly?
Actually, I hate sports in general, but good GOD, the slow ones are the worst.
Like any sport, baseball can have it’s lulls but a close game in the 9th inning and the closer keeps freakin’ walking people gets interesting. Or extremely frustrating. If you’re a jays fan. Like I am. And their closer blew a game last week. Yeah, that.
I’ll agree that baseball can be quite boring… when the pace is off. When the pitcher takes 2 minutes to get set… and as soon as he does, the batter decides to call for time, and steps out of the box to readjust his gloves… and then steps back in, and the pitcher takes 2 minutes to get set… and the batter calls time….
.
But it can also be quite interesting when they maintain a good pace, when hits are happening (which is why I’m a fan of the DH. Who wants to see a pitcher batting?), when there are close plays to get an out.
.
Of course, I also like curling. C’mon, it’s like chess knocked up shuffleboard and then went ice skating! It’s oddly fascinating. Or perhaps I’m just odd.
• 
Probably sometime before or during today’s game on FOX.
I don’t see how they could outlaw tossing balls into the stands so long as foul balls and home runs have the potential for an outcome similar to what happened in Texas.
Unless they want to put netting up all around the stadium like they have directly behind home plate, so no balls ever make it to the seats.
Hopefully never.
What happened was stupid, but not Baseball’s fault.
If people wouldn’t do stupid things to get a baseball, like say leaning to far over a railing that they should be staying behind and not even touching, well, Darwin at work….
We are rapidly becoming a nation of helpless babies encased in giant plastic bubbles. How did I ever survive going to baseball games in the ’80s and ’90s without such caring business professionals and their armies of lawyers looking out for our collective well-being?
One would think that with a 20-foot drop to solid concrete in that location a net would have been installed a long time ago.
The wire baskets that line the outfield walls of the Wrigley Field bleachers were added for two reasons: First, to make home runs a little easier to hit. But the second, and probably most important reason, was to keep fans from reaching for fly balls and falling onto the field.
Russ, we agree about something! The poor gentleman caused his fall with the way he went after the ball; but why is there that large of a gap between the stands and the scoreboard? The gap should either be enclosed or covered with a net. It seems to be a design flaw and the Rangers are probably lucky that it hasn’t happened before.
Doug, when the Ballpark in Arlington was first built, that outfield scoreboard was designed as a nostalgia throwback, and had manually replaced number panels. So, the gap was there for personnel to make the updates as necessary. Ballpark renovations in the past few years have replaced the manual scoreboard with an electronic one that mimics the look of the original.
.
–Daryl
They just need to limit ticket sales to folks with a working knowledge of gravity.
You all suck. Yeah, it was a stupid thing to do, but this was a human being that lost their life. Show SOME dignity.
They haven’t already? I see crazier on the news everyday.
So I don’t follow baseball, and thus had to look up just what you guys are referring to.
.
Quickly found a news story about a Texas firefighter who fell out of the stands at a Texas Rangers game, dated July 8 . . . 2010.
.
Yes, this exact same thing happened a year ago, down to the friggin’ profession of the victim, only that guy fell further and LIVED.
.
Stranger than fiction, no?
You’d think a firefighter would have more intellignet risk/reward assessment skills…
It was already outlawed, it was just a rule that was never enforced…
Though my understanding is it was more to prevent mobs of people attacking each other for balls, than for what occured in this instance.
Don’t know, and certainly a tragedy.
But you know it’s a Mets fan who post something about baseball today and it’s not Jeter’s 3000th. 😀
They used to have a tarp in that gap by the scoreboard and the wall, but removed it due to fans trying to get in there to pick up home run balls. The railing height exceeds the height standards ( 33″ now vs 26″ recommended ), yet an accident still happened. The guy who fell last year, a firefighter as well, survived because he fell on some people.
Any bets that the tarp, or a net with mesh big emough to permit the passage of a ball but not people, is back in place there within the week?
So instead of the recommended barely-two-feet high, it’s less-than-three-feet high. This would barely have a shot of keeping MY 5’7″ frame from tumbling if I managed to overreach myself, let alone his, what, 6’5″ or somesuch frame?
.
There should’ve been a net there. Or a higher railing. Or both. I’m sure they could’ve figured out a net that would keep people from climbing over to get the balls (make it more of a mesh than a net, and angled so most of them roll off to the side where they plunk safely to the ground, maybe?)
.
Yes, what happened was a tragedy. Yes, the guy who leaned too far over and overbalanced was an idiot. But MLB shouldn’t make this in any way, shape, or form an outlawed act. However, teams should use some form of common sense in designing these things.
“This would barely have a shot of keeping MY 5’7″ frame from tumbling if I managed to overreach myself, let alone his, what, 6’5″ or somesuch frame?”
The point of the railing is to STAY BEHIND IT! NOT to lean over it…
“There should’ve been a net there. Or a higher railing. Or both.”
Or an IQ test to buy tickets….
“But MLB shouldn’t make this in any way, shape, or form an outlawed act.” Now you’re on the right track
From what I’ve seen and read, baseball has not come close to seriously considering banning tossing baseballs into the stands.
.
As others have stated, home runs and foul balls carry an element of “risk” as well.
.
Plus, tossing balls into the stands was a goodwll gesture from players to fans after the tter strike of 1994-95. It is a way for layers and fans to connect in a small way and for some to get a souvenir and one unfortunate tragedy should not – and likely won’t – result in a ban.
Maybe they will just outlaw firemen at baseball games?
Can’t we just outlaw stupidity instead?
Or Baseball? I mean, it’s criminally boring…
I have one word to say to you about Baseball being boring.
Cricket.
I’ll see your cricket and raise you Curling…
Can’t we all agree that all three suck terribly?
Actually, I hate sports in general, but good GOD, the slow ones are the worst.
Like any sport, baseball can have it’s lulls but a close game in the 9th inning and the closer keeps freakin’ walking people gets interesting. Or extremely frustrating. If you’re a jays fan. Like I am. And their closer blew a game last week. Yeah, that.
I’ll agree that baseball can be quite boring… when the pace is off. When the pitcher takes 2 minutes to get set… and as soon as he does, the batter decides to call for time, and steps out of the box to readjust his gloves… and then steps back in, and the pitcher takes 2 minutes to get set… and the batter calls time….
.
But it can also be quite interesting when they maintain a good pace, when hits are happening (which is why I’m a fan of the DH. Who wants to see a pitcher batting?), when there are close plays to get an out.
.
Of course, I also like curling. C’mon, it’s like chess knocked up shuffleboard and then went ice skating! It’s oddly fascinating. Or perhaps I’m just odd.
Well, as if the incident in Texas wasn’t enough:
.
Fan almost falls from Chase Field stands at Home Run Derby
http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/blog/big_league_stew/post/Not-again-Fan-almost-falls-from-stands-at-Home-?urn=mlb-wp12376
.
Make sure you scroll down the page to see the photo of this guy before he fell over. It’s too bad that those guys potentially saved this village idiot.
I did wonder if that guy pondered his own mortality after the event.