A scary incident Saturday at a spring training game between Atlanta and Pittsburgh provided a perfect example of why Major League Baseball encouraged its teams in the offseason to extend protective netting at ballparks down the baselines within 70 feet of home plate.
@BiertempfelTrib The two frames showing just how close the bat was to the boy's head. pic.twitter.com/7VwnfWp8L1
— Christopher Horner (@Hornerfoto1) March 6, 2016
A boy seated behind the Braves' dugout on the first-base side was looking down at his cell phone and didn't see Pittsburgh outfielder Danny Ortiz lose his grip on his bat during a swinging strike.