Baseball Stadium Safety Needs Refining
Last night, a Rangers fan fell 20 feet onto concrete on his head after reaching out over the railing to catch a baseball tossed by Josh Hamilton. The fan was bloody but appeared to be stable as he was talking with fans and paramedics to make sure that his 6 year old son was going to be taken care of. Everyone assured him that his son would be okay. The fan passed away later that evening in the hospital.
Baseball has uniqueness to it in the fact that the fans are so close to the game that they are pretty much a part of it. It's been that way since the birth of baseball. However, since the popularity of baseball has boomed, so has the size of the stadiums and the potential danger it poses to fans with little protection they provide.
The man last night was still on his two feet when he fell over the railing. That tells me that the railing is not tall enough to prevent fans from falling over.
I do not want to see baseball turn the stadiums into 'cages' that separates the fans from the game, but MLB and team owners can be smart about this and look for ways to extend the safety for fans and players alike.
What I would like to see is an increase in the height of railing around upper deck walkways so it is not that easy to lean and eventually fall over. As we see more and more fans taking falls over railing, it's now time for MLB and team owners to do something about it. Something has to be done.
My thoughts and prayers go out to the Stone family after this tragic and sudden passing.