News-Record.com

my mom used to say "yeah..laugh it up, have a big time..its all fun and games until someone loses an eye."

This is an isolated incident, I don't think there is a need for more shields and nets in baseball. You know going out that there is a risk of a ball flying into the stands. More nets and things would only make for a bad experience. I hate that this happened, but this isn't something that happens frequently.

I think there SHOULD be more nets especially around the family areas. This is the 4th occurence this year. At minor league ballparks, you are very close to the field and you are there to enjoy your self. There should be more protection for the fans so that you can enjoy yourself. At major league fields, the family sections are on decks 2 or 3 with little to no danger of line drives to the head!

I think extending the netting down the line to help protect spectators from hard line shots must be explored. There is only so much "paying attention" you're gonna get from people at baseball games.

I have taught my kids from a young age to pay more attention when their is an opposite hitting batter (third base line = lefty/1st = righty). But that only goes so far.

The article states "Master is the fourth person paramedics have treated for being hit by a baseball this year. None were treated for that injury in the 2007 season, said Alan Perdue, director of emergency services for Guilford County." I wounder what was meant by "that injury"? What other injuries have there been? I went to one Grasshopper's game in 2007 and a young girl got hit in the forehead by a foul ball. She was also near first base. The impact was hard and direct enough such that the ball rebounded back onto the field from about eight rows up. She was treated by first aid responders there at the park, but I would be suprised if her parents did not take her to the hospital. So, I think that severe injuries may be under reported and some type of additional barriers are needed.

I really think it is terrible that a man went to a baseball game and now his eye was injured so severely that it has to be removed and the president and general manager of the Grasshoppers bares no responsibility. This is a shame and outrage. They should bare some responsibility. First of all his eye has to be removed and he will not have sight in that eye and what about all of the medical bills. He will never be the same. He will not have proper vision anymore and he and his family will have to live with that. YES YES AND YES THERE SHOULD BE MORE SHIELDS111111111111111111111

Wow. Just... wow. The sense of entitlement and desire for a nanny-State by some of the above posters is simply frightening.

How about this? If you're concerned that you might get beaned by a foul ball at a baseball game, DON'T GO. Jesus Christ, that's a shocking thought! Thinking for yourself and looking out for yourself are two items that many Americans are missing today.

The nanny-State mentality is so freaking pathetic.

It isn't that you should be afraid to go see a base ball game or not take your kids, it is imperative that more barriers are put out for the safety of the fans. People who speak out with sarcastic comments should take a hard look in the mirror and ask themselves if this happened to them or a member/friend of family, how would they actually feel about all of this. Safety is first and foremost in this kind of situation. Ignorance of such things can be deadly!

Call Ralph Nader....

Baseball - Unsafe At Any Speed !

I think that we as fans just need to be aware at all times. Sure baseball games are a time to chill out and relax, but those balls do hurt -- and kill. Just pay better attention, that's all...

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I was there that night, along with my boy's Scout pack. We were all sitting in section 113 and we saw Mr. Masters get hit with the ball. We also saw three other people get hit with foul balls before the 4th inning. (We took the kids to the playground for the rest of the game). The warnings that are posted about getting hit with a ball, do not fully prepare someone for the damage a ball going 80 mph could cause. I expected that if someone were to get hit, it would be a 'bump'. I never realized the damage that could be done by a foul ball. I think the fences should be raised and extended. Or possibly add the words 'may cause SERIOUS injury' to warning signs for those that want to possibly catch the ball. Personally, watching someone lose their eye, the panic and distress his poor wife was in, and the dismay of the people surrounding the scene, have turned me off of live baseball games forever. For those that continue to go...pay attention to the ball at all times!

Hey Lily G - if you're concerned about getting beaned by a foul ball, may I recommend the following:

1) DON'T GO!

Problem solved! Hurrah, it's a miracle. Logic and critical thinking prevails once more as opposed to complaining and constant braying about how it's others responsibility to keep ME safe at all times. Personal responsibility is obviously a thing of the past.

However, if you MUST watch baseball, please heed the following recommendations:

A) Sit behind the backstop. Hey, there's already a net there to protect you, so they're already providing exactly what you're looking for. Just because you're too cheap or lazy to get tickets ahead of time isn't the team or stadium's problem.
B) Buy the cheap seats. Sitting beyond first or third base along the lines isn't too safe, but if you're about 30 rows back, you'll only have to keep an eye out for the pop-ups. Those don't even hurt that bad!
C) Forget the minor league, major league is where it's at! Watch from the comfort of your own home and enjoy watching the guys who make the big bucks.
D) Buy the lawn seats! At a Durham Bulls game, the only place you'll have to really be careful is walking from your car to the stadium and back again!

There you have it, folks. Plenty of opportunities for those who would cry about getting beaned to watch baseball safely with little to no chance of injury even if they pay absolutely no attention to what's going on during the game. The rest of us, who enjoy actually watching the game, despite such a fateful risk will gladly take your seats.

What happened to Mr. Masters is unfortunate, but EXTREMELY rare. Last year, millions of fans across the country watched Major and Minor League baseball at stadiums in person, and I can guarantee you that throughout the 140-year history of baseball in America, only a very small percentage of fans have been killed or seriously injured after being hit by a line drive.

There was a teenage girl a few years ago who tragically was killed when a hockey put hit her in the head at a Columbus Bluejackets NHL game.

Last year, there was also the tragic incident of the AA-Tulsa Drillers' first base coach, and former Major Leaguer, Mike Coolbaugh, who died after being struck in the neck, while coaching, by a ball one of his players hit, and HE WAS PAYING ATTENTION!!! My point in saying that is NOT to be callous, but to simply point out that when one enters a ballpark, one assumes the risks associated with the game. What happened to Coolbaugh, and to Mr. Masters, is incidental to the game of baseball. PLEASE DO NOT MIS-UNDERSTAND ME. I am NOT downplaying the significance and tragedy of those incidents, but am only saying that people should know what the risks and dangers of any event or activity are, before they engage in it. It is inevitable that in a game such as baseball, where the rules call for batting and throwing a ball, that sometimes those balls inadvertently become errant, and bad things can happen unintentionally. Therefore, anyone who thinks that the Grasshoppers should be held responsible, is crazy!! It is a tragic , but unfortunate ACCIDENT.

I agree with Sensei's comments about the nanny-State mentality where no one wants to take personal responsibility for themselves.

Coolbaugh's death did bring about improved safety measures: a rule change this season requiring all Major and Minor league base coaches to wear batting helmets while in the coaches' box.

The death of the Reynolds High football player last week, is also something extremely rare. In an N&R article, Rick Strunk of the NHSAA said that last year 1.8 million kids played high school football nationwide, and there were only 3 deaths. Statistically, then, I would take my chances, just as statistcally, I will continue to take my chances attending Grashoppers games, and other live baseball contests, and I continue to encourage others to enjoy "The Grand Ole' Game" in person.

The president and general manager of the Grasshoppers should absolutely bare some of the responsibilities for Mr Master's injury.
This is a permanent injury that will affect him
and his family for the rest of his life.
We will not return to the stadium until more safety
precautions are put into place...

Simple solution, sit behind home plate with your kids
if you are afraid of foul balls. Lets not end up like
The carolina mudcats and have to watch baseball
through a screen for 9 innings....

I think more netting in most stadiums would be good. I have never been to this stadium but I was hit with a line drive foul ball in the face last summer at another minor league game. I have since had to have 2 surgeries to keep my eye in place and now have a hole in part of my eye. I love baseball but have not been to a game all season because I am afraid of getting hit again. Plus since teams do not want to take responsibility for incidents like this, frankly I cannot afford to go to another game.

This may not be something that happens at every game but it is happening often enough that something needs to change. Hockey put up safety glass to protect fans. I think baseball should do the same. Especially minor league stadiums that have less space between the field and the stands.

I hope Mr. Master has a speedy recovery.