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WASHINGTON (AP) — Illinois' two senators have urged Major League Baseball to be more transparent about fans who are injured by foul balls, saying the lack of data is creating confusion about the extent of the problem.
Democratic Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth said in a letter to baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred this week that MLB should "collect and report data about fan injuries."
The letter says "we currently rely on media coverage about foul ball injuries, which can lead to misinformation and confusion." The senators say the data "will provide a more honest dialogue and help protect baseball's biggest (and littlest) fans."
Last month, the Chicago White Sox became the first major league team to extend protective netting from foul pole to foul pole. The safety measure was announced a week after a foul ball at the park sent a woman to the hospital with her head bleeding.
Several fans, including a 2-year-old girl in Houston, have been injured by hard-hit foul balls this season.
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