ATLANTA — How safe are you in American ballparks? The question has come up again after a young fan was hit by a foul ball at Wednesday night's Cubs-Astros game.
The little girl went to the hospital after she was hit by a ball going about 100 mph. The child was sitting outside the protective netting when she was hit.
She was seen in tears, as was Cubs' Albert Almora, who hit the foul ball.
Security guards had to console him after he went over to the stands to check on the girl and broke down in tears.
The MLB issued a statement about the incident, saying: "The events at last night's game were extremely upsetting. We send our best wishes to the child and family involved. Clubs have significantly expanded netting and their inventory of protected seats in recent years. With last night's event in mind, we will continue our efforts on this important issue."
A study found moving closer to the action has put fans at a greater risk when it comes to foul balls and injuries. In fact, fans may be at greater danger than some of the players.
A Bloomberg article published in 2014, said each year 1,750 fans are injured by foul balls at Major League Baseball games. That amount to about two fans hurt every three games.
The research from Indiana University said fans are more frequently hurt than players at bat. The study found a typical foul ball travels between 100 and 110 mph. A fan sitting 60 feet from home plate has just four-tenths of second to react, and that's if they're paying attention to the game.
Researchers say these injuries have become more frequent in recent years because fans today sit 20 percent closer to home plate than they did in the past, that's with the addition of nearly two dozen new stadiums since 1992.
Ahead of the 2018 season, the MLB announced new minimum recommendations. It called for protective netting or other barriers at all 30 ballparks to be extended to at least beyond the end of both dugouts, as part of an "effort to improve and ensure the safety of its fans."
The recommendations went into effect before last year's opening day. Previously, the policy said those protections should be for all field level seats.
When SunTrust Park opened in 2017 in Cobb County, it was already meeting the MLB's 2018 recommendations.
That protective netting shields sections 1-9, 17-34 and 118-133, along with the Champions Suites.
The netting is 31.5 feet high and begins at the start of the camera well on the far end of the first base dugout, and extends all the way to the start of the other camera well on the far end of the third base dugout.
SunTrust Park says fans in those sections are still at risk of objects leaving the field, including bats, pieces of bats and balls. They warn that fans assume all risk of injury, and if you look closely, that warning is even printed on tickets.