By Brandon Apter, Sports Talk Philly editor 
You see signs all over most ballparks. "Be aware of flying bats and balls that may come into the stands". While most fans go to games in hopes of retrieving a foul ball, some situations become dangerous for spectators when line drives come off the bat and into the crowd. That was the case this past weekend at Citizens Bank Park.
Short stop Freddy Galvis fouled a ball off into the stands during Saturday night's game against the Cardinals and it struck a young girl in the face, prompting an immediate trip to the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. This incident once against brings up the debate as to whether or not the netting should be extended. The Phillies added on 10 feet of net this past offseason, but it ends at the beginning each dugout.
"The Phillies expanded our netting this season to the sides of the dugout near home plate, as was suggested by Major League Baseball," Phillies executive vice president and chief operating officer Mike Stiles said in a statement. "We decided earlier this season to consider the possibility of further expansion next season. In making that determination at the conclusion of the 2016 season, we will take into account a number of factors — including the opinion of our uniformed personnel and, most importantly, the wishes and safety of our fans."[Phillies.com]
The pitch that Galvis fouled off was a 98 mph fastball. Though Galvis was told on Sunday afternoon that the girl was indeed alright, he believes that Major League Baseball needs to do a better job of protecting the fans, the people that give teams money to watch the game.
“I think it’s getting a little bit frustrating seeing some fans getting hit with a foul ball,” Galvis said. “Like I said before, I think the Major Leagues these days should do a better job taking care of the fans.
“You have to take care of the people who give you the money. The fans give you the money.” [CSNPhilly.com]
According to CSNPhilly.com, the Kansas City Royals, Minnesota Twins and Washington Nationals are the only three teams that have netting that extends to the end of each dugout.
"What if I broke all her teeth? What if I broke her nose?" Galvis said. "If I hit her in one eye and she loses that, what are they going to do? It's going to be a big deal for two, three days. Everybody in TV, media, whatever. But after three days, what's going to happen? They're going to forget. But that family won't forget that."
While the Major League's will have to continue to monitor these situations, the same can be said about Minor League Baseball ballparks. With smaller stadiums and seats closer to the field, the reaction time from the ball heading into the stands for fans is even shorter than a big league game. The vast majority of Minor League Baseball teams do have protected netting to at least the beginning of the dugouts while some have also extended it to the ends of the dugout to help make sure fans that sit close are safe.
