White Sox to extend protective netting at Guaranteed Rate Field
The Sox and the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority are planning to extend the protective netting at Guaranteed Rate Field down the lines to the foul poles.
By Daryl Van Schouwen Jun 18, 2019
The White Sox on Tuesday announced plans to extend the protective netting at Guaranteed Rate Field down the lines to the foul poles as soon as possible.
As first reported by the Sun-Times, the Sox said specific details will be announced later but indicated the changes will be made this summer. The Sox will be the first of the 30 major-league teams to extend the netting to the corners of the outfield.
To protect fans from foul balls, every team extended the netting to the end of each dugout before the 2018 season. Going beyond that, however, was left up to each franchise. The Tigers have extended the netting about halfway between the dugouts and foul poles at Comerica Park in Detroit.
Calls for more fan safety increased after a 4-year-old girl was struck by a foul ball off the bat of Cubs outfielder Albert Almora on May 29 at Minute Maid Park in Houston. A woman was bloodied and taken to a hospital after being hit by a foul ball off the bat of Sox rookie Eloy Jimenez on June 10 at Guaranteed Rate Field.
‘‘It keeps people safe; it’s a smart move,’’ Sox right-hander Lucas Giolito said. ‘‘I hate seeing young kids get hit and having to go to the hospital.’’
Players have been calling for more netting for years.
‘‘In today’s day and age, you have a lot of young fans, and guys are hitting the ball harder,’’ Giolito said. ‘‘I see counterarguments like, ‘Don’t sit there,’ or, ‘Just pay attention to the game.’
‘‘Dude, no matter how much you’re paying attention to the game, if that thing’s coming in 115 miles an hour with tail, no matter if you have a glove this big, it could hit you right in the forehead.’’
Said Jimenez: ‘‘When I hit the woman, I was . . . super-sad because I knew I hit it hard and it was straight in the face. That doesn’t feel good. That’s why [extending the netting is] going to be good.’’
https://chicago.suntimes.com/white-sox/2019/6/18/18683945/white-sox-to-extend-protective-netting-at-guaranteed-rate-field-mlb-cubs-albert-almora-jr
Child Hit By Foul Ball Suffered Brain Injuries, Attorney Says
A 2-year-old girl who was hit by a foul ball last month at Minute Maid Park suffered significant head injuries, the family attorney said.
By Bryan Kirk, Patch Staff
Jun 27, 2019
HOUSTON — Should Major League Baseball be looking at expanding protective netting from foul pole to foul pole in all major league ballparks? That’s the question many were asking when a 2-year-old girl was injured by a foul ball during a game between the Chicago Cubs and the Houston Astros on May 29.
The 2-year-old girl was sitting on a relatives lap in section 111 during the game when she was hit in the head by a line drive off the bat of Cubs outfielder Albert Almora Jr.
It’s estimated that the ball was traveling in excess of 100 miles per hour when it struck the child in the head. Almora, who followed the path of the ball, was immediately overcome with grief and was consoled by teammates and umpires.
On Wednesday, family members speaking through their attorney Richard Mithoff revealed the extent of the child’s injuries, which included a fractured skull, subdural bleeding, seizures, and a brain contusion.
A day after the incident, an article in USA Today spotlighted the need for expanding safety netting at baseball parks to help keep fans safe. However, it’s not clear when Major League Baseball intends to study expanding protective netting in the name of fan safety.
Two days after the child was injured MBL Commissioner Rob Manfred told the Washington Post that changes could be difficult in some stadiums during the season.
“Look, I think it is important that we continue to focus on fan safety,” Manfred said. “If that means that the netting has to go beyond the dugouts, so be it.”
There are have been a number of injuries, and even deaths caused by foul balls in major league parks over the last decade.
- Dodger Stadium: A woman was rushed to the hospital on June 23 after she was hit in the head by a foul ball. The Dodgers say the plan to extend their protective netting.
- Marlins Park: An elderly woman was struck by a foul ball in September 2015 and was slightly injured.
- Wrigley Field: A man was hit in the face with a foul ball during a game between the Chicago Cubs and the Pittsburgh Pirates in August 2017, and suffered a broken nose and jaw, and he lost sight in his right eye.
- Guaranteed Field: A woman is hit in the head by a foul ball during a White Sox game in June 2019.
Before the start of the 2018 season, all 30 MLB clubs expanded their safety netting in their ballparks, but only around home plate, and not foul pole to foul pole as was suggested in 2007 and 2012 by the Major League Baseball Players Association.
The family of the little girl has not filed a lawsuit against the Houston Astros, but Mithoff said is hoping this sends a message to the Astros front office.
“I know Jim Crane well enough to know that he is a very responsible owner, and I think Jim will do the right thing,” Mithoff told KTRK.
https://patch.com/texas/houston/girl-hit-foul-ball-during-astros-game-badly-injured-attorneys
Four injured in shooting during Toronto Raptors’ NBA celebration
By Emanuella Grinberg, CNN
Updated 12:08 AM ET, Tue June 18, 2019
(CNN)After four people were injured Monday in a shooting during the Toronto Raptors’ NBA Championship celebration, Canadian officials urged the public to not let it undermine a mostly peaceful commemoration of a historic win.
Stadiums Queensland admits facial recognition tech trial
Posted by TheStadiumBusiness
on 5th June 2019
Stadiums Queensland has been accused of breaching the privacy of spectators at its venues after admitting to covertly trialing facial recognition technology and sharing information with the police.
The venue-management organisation has not confirmed which of the nine properties it oversees have been part of the trial. The Queensland Government announced last year it would spend Aus$8.3m (€5.3m/US$6.1m/£4.7m) on installing facial recognition technology across its major arenas.
Stadiums Queensland, whose venues include The Gabba and the Suncorp Stadium, said patrons are made aware that CCTV cameras are operated at its properties, and explained why the trials were taking place.
“At this time, such software is only being used to identify patterns and anomalies in crowd behaviour, such as abandoned bags and long queues,” a spokesperson for Stadiums Queensland told ABC News.
“As indicated in the terms of entry, ticketholders agree to being filmed by CCTV for the purpose of venue security and public safety upon entry to SQ venues.”
However, some claim that those visiting the venues should be made aware that technology is being utilised which can identify them and share their details with the authorities.
“It’s certainly something for any large-scale technology implementation like that, that we recommend,” Phil Green, Queensland Privacy Commissioner, told ABC News.
“It’s simply good practice to identify risks of conducting this sort of surveillance and using facial recognition – those risks are being identified worldwide at the moment.
“It’s been demonstrated that bias can creep in, depending on what databases you’re using and who’s in the database, and the algorithms themselves.”
Stadiums Queensland is charged with the management of major sports facilities that are declared under Queensland Government regulation as being venues having the capacity to stage national or international sports events, recreational or entertainment experiences.
As well as The Gabba, one of the world’s most famous cricket grounds, and the Brisbane Broncos’ Suncorp Stadium, Stadiums Queensland also oversees Queensland Tennis Centre, Brisbane Entertainment Centre and Metricon Stadium.
The organising committee for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games last year announced that a facial recognition system will be used at venues to enhance security during the events.
https://www.thestadiumbusiness.com/2019/06/05/stadiums-queensland-admits-facial-recognition-tech-trial/?utm_source=TSB+-+TheStadiumBusiness+NEWS&utm_campaign=fe29350dd0-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2017_01_04_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_d71bad5679-fe29350dd0-24174101&mc_cid=fe29350dd0&mc_eid=c5c7a5da61