Do the fans need more/better protection from flying baseballs at NewBridge Bank Park?

I’m sure you’ve all seen the article by Sonja Elmquist in today’s News and Record and on-line at www.news-record.com, if not you need to check it out.

Carroll Master was hit by a foul ball at the Greensboro Grasshoppers game last weekend and he will be forced to lose his left eye.

Mr. Master got popped hard and could this have been avoided if the Hoppers had better netting/screens in and around at the New BridgeBank Park? There are warning signs placed at strategic locations around the ballpark, but does there need to be something more in place to protect fans?

Do you think that the Hoppers need to go ahead and install more of the screens/nets so the fans can feel safer when they come out to a ballgame or as a fan do you think the added netting would be to obtrusive and get in the way of your viewpoint of the baseball game?

The Carolina Mudcats, the Hoppers’ AA sister team in the Florida Marlins organization in Zebulon, N.C., have an abundance of netting around the ballpark to protect the fans but it does hinder your veiw somewhat and it makes it seem like you are on a boat out at sea.

Is it better to be safe than sorry? The News and Record article did mention that there have been four injuries at NewBridge Bank Park this season. If there was more netting around the ballpark you probably wouldn’t see as many foul balls bouncing off of the upper deck and falling back into the crowd and there goes your souvenirs.

Is it better to be safe than sorry, and if that is the case then do the Hoppers need to add more/better protection at NewBridge Bank Park?

6 thoughts on “Do the fans need more/better protection from flying baseballs at NewBridge Bank Park?

  1. Andy and I were broacasting the game when the fan got hit. Andy was doing play by play, so he could not observe the commotion to our left as the staff treated the fan. He was down for a long time and I figured that it wasn’t good, to say the least. Bottom line-YES-netting is needed. It would make fans feel more content and the slight view obstruction is well worth the difference for the safety. I know the Grasshoppers are rluctant, because most of the time nothing happens on foul balls, other than free souveniors, but they should definitely make the move to netting.

  2. Yes, extend the netting down the lines to protect fans from hard line shots from opposite handed batters

  3. I think this is a situation where it will take a death for them to do anything as bad that sounds, YES they do need to do more to protect the fans.

  4. I’ve thought since the first game I attended there that more should be done to protect the fans from foul balls.

  5. Simple solution, sit behind home plate if you are worried about foul balls. Some of us like having an unobstructed view. Like Andy said, go see a Carolina Mudcats if you think netting is the answer. Its horrible there.

  6. I think extra netting is needed.
    I have heard people mention this concern even when I lived in Oregon and a friend came to Greensboro to watch a game.
    Some casual fans have no idea how likely they are to get hit by a ball even with the warnings posted.

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