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The good news is that the MLB clubs have taken note and are working towards a viable solution. MLB teams from the Yankees to the Giants have all extended their protective netting offseason in order to comply with the new recommendation made last December by the Major League Baseball committee. All major clubs have been quick to comply to the new rule, with even stalwarts such as, Wrigley Field adding more protective netting that extends 70 feet from the home plate to the inner edges of the dugouts.

Besides these teams, other clubs have taken their attempts to improve the safety of their fans even further by adding protective netting all the way to the outer edges of the dugouts.

MLB improved safety measures following the NHL. In 2002, The NHL adopted safety nets after a 13-year-old was fatally struck by a deflected puck. Even in Japan, longer safety nets are the standard in baseball nets catch, where these nets extend all the way from foul pole to foul pole. The support for extended safety netting has come from everyone in MLB, including the fans, who have finally realized the importance of safety nets during professional games.

Major League Baseball prides itself in providing its fans at the ballparks with unmatched proximity and access to the players. Fan safety is #1. A good quality net will guarantee it. One of the challenges that have stopped MLB clubs from implementing safety netting during their games is the unique configuration of ballparks. While the new baseball rule of providing additional safety netting during every game will alter the ballpark experience that the MLB has been striving to preserve for so long, it goes without saying that there is a very real need of safety netting during major baseball games for the protection of baseball fans.