Even after Todd Frazier 105-mph ball hit a 2-year-old, many don’t want more netting

Following a scary few minutes at Yankee Stadium when a 105-mph foul ball hit a young girl in the face, a New Jersey-based polling institute decided to ask Americans whether netting should be extended to protect the fans.

The results may surprise you.

In the Seton Hall Sports Poll of 845 adults in the United States, 49 percent said baseball stadiums should extend netting to protect fans from foul balls and errant bats. Thirty-one percent said the netting is fine as is.

"It really is kind of hard to believe that anybody would say no," said poll director Rick Gentile, pointing to the Sept. 20 incident involving New Jersey native Todd Frazier.

Frazier's scorching foul ball struck a young girl who spent days in the hospital before getting released.

Unlike most polls, the results correlated directly with age groups — the younger the respondent, the more likely they'd be to oppose additional netting. In the 18-29 age group, 39 percent opposed the netting and 33 percent were in favor. Among those 60 and older, 56 percent favored extended netting while 23 percent opposed.

"As the respondents grew older, their protectiveness increased," Gentile said.

The Yankees on Oct. 1 announced the organization will "significantly expand" protective netting at Yankee Stadium and their spring training facility during the offseason.

The Mets extended netting in July and the Phillies made the move ahead of the 2017 season.

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Contact reporter Dino Flammia at dino.flammia@townsquaremedia.com.