Letters: Baseball needs a bigger safety net, and now

The time has come for Major League Baseball to mandate the extension of protective netting at all ballparks from the end of the dugouts to the foul poles. The upcoming All-Star break would be a timely period to make this installation.

Of course, there will be some teams that will be reluctant to do so, like the Dodgers, who are waiting for a study to be completed before taking any action. The Dodgers, of all teams, should be making this change now. At Dodger Stadium, an elderly woman died after being struck in the head by a foul ball last August, and a young woman was struck in the face just this month.

This extension netting will have a two-fold benefit for the Dodgers: Protecting their fans from foul balls and keeping hug-seeking admirers off the field away from Cody Bellinger.

Wayne Muramatsu

Cerritos

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After hearing rumors about the possibility of the Dodgers acquiring pitcher Will Smith from the Giants, can you imagine having a battery of Will Smiths? Would they be referred to as the “Men in Blue”?

Jeff Hershow

Woodland Hills

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With his Northern California roots and scruffy appearance, are we sure Tony Gonsolin is not a Giant spy sent to torpedo the Dodgers?

Ken Blake

Brea

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It was very exciting to see the three Dodgers rookies hit walk-off home runs in three straight games. Nonetheless I cringed as I watched the last two leap as they landed on home plate. I guess they are too young to remember Kendry Morales.

Mark Kaiserman

Santa Monica

The Laker beat

Bill Plaschke must really be tired of jumping on and off the Rob Pelinka bandwagon? Criticize then applaud, and repeat. It’s getting old, Bill. Maybe you should send Rob a box of candy in the shape of your mouth — with foot protruding?

Gary Engstrom

Laguna Woods

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When Jeanie Buss said that she “always had confidence in Rob [Pelinka],” what she really meant was that she “always had confidence in Rob assisting Lakers President of Operations Rich Paul.”

Jack Saltzberg

Valley Village

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How long until we see the tweet from Magic saying freeing up the cap space this week was his idea?

Jeff Heister

Chatsworth

On the move?

After have a very good season, one of the most over-achieving teams in the NBA has to play second fiddle in their own city. One month ago we had Kawhi coming to the Clippers and a possible title on the horizon. Now all the talk is about the Lakers again.

To ensure they can be the main attraction in their city, they should start from scratch and once again be the Buffalo Braves .

Richard Katz

Los Angeles

Father’s day

I’ve written some letters about LaVar Ball in the past that weren’t very complimentary.

His over-the-top antics and outrageous statements certainly made him an easy target. Now that his son Lonzo has been shipped out of town to New Orleans, I guess we won’t have LaVar and his Big Baller Brand to kick around anymore.

But in all of this hoopla, I think what we’ve ove-looked is that Mr. Ball has always been there for his sons. He’s been a rock-steady presence in their lives from day one, and like any father, he undoubtedly wants what’s best for them. His grandstanding ways aside, Ball has been a good parent.

I wish he and Lonzo the best of luck in New Orleans. As they say down in the Big Easy, there’s a new crawdad in town.

Charles Reilly

Manhattan Beach

A good look

For the first time in many, many years the College World Series looked like an American baseball game. Players from the inner city and the suburbs showed that those two cultures can meet and produce high-quality college baseball. Hats off to Michigan coach Erick Bakich and Vanderbilt’s Tim Corbin for recruiting and playing minority players. Both teams have seven black players on their rosters and the majority of those players play.

Local college teams should take a page out of Michigan’s and Vanderbilt’s playbook and at least take a look at inner-city minority players. I coached inner-city kids in the Los Angeles Recreation and Parks Department for 30 years and there are thousands of inner-city kids across the nation that are talented players.

Hopefully major colleges all over the nation will take a cue from Michigan and Vanderbilt and recruit players and not neighborhoods.

Steve Finley

Los Angeles

No blues here

With the Angels and Albert Pujols visiting the St. Louis Cardinals last weekend, I just couldn’t get over the love, enthusiasm, appreciation, and respect shown by the Cardinals fans toward Pujols, who received several standing ovations each game. It gave me goose bumps. Albert has said on more than one occasion that the St. Louis baseball fans are the best in the world. After watching the series last weekend, I now understand, and believe him.

Chris Sorce

Fountain Valley

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