Cubs plan to extend netting down foul line to protect fans

It is an age old debate: better view or better safety? The Cubs find themselves in the heat of the battle.

After a fan was blinded in one eye after being hit by a ball, the Cubs have said they will extend the netting at least 20-feet down foul lines of Wrigley next year. But will it be enough?

It happened in a fraction of a second. A 2-year-old girl critically was injured by a foul ball at Yankee Stadium last month.

Now, Major League Baseball is urging teams to extend the protective netting behind home plate further down the lines to shield more fans.

Fox 32 baseball analyst Chip Caray says The game has become more dangerous for a number of reasons.

"Look, The ball parks or more intimate, the fans want to be close to the action. The ball is being hit harder now than perhaps ever before. And let's face it, we are a cell phone society. The attention span of our audience is changing,” Caray said.

Last week, a Schaumburg man sued the Cubs after he was hit in the eye by a foul ball at Wrigley Field, causing partial blindness.

Because of that lawsuit, the Cubs aren't talking on the record. But sources told FOX 32 the team plans to expand the protective netting next season about 20 feet further down the line, as part of a reconstruction that will move the dugouts further away from home plate as well.

Some fans at Tuesday night’s playoff game say that's a good idea.

"I think as a fan I can see through just fine. As a mom of small kids it protects them more and I like to bring them to ball games,” one woman said.

"You might as well extend it a little bit. Safety is an important thing,” one man said.