Protective Netting Saves Gio Urshela And A Fan From Collision After Terrific Catch

Just a couple of days after Mets right fielder Jeff McNeil turned into Spider-Man thanks to the new extended netting in Chicago, Gio Urshela, the other New York team’s third baseman, used the netting at Yankee Stadium to snag a foul ball without toppling into the stands, saving himself and one lucky fan from a world of pain.

In the top of the third inning of Saturday’s Boston-New York dogfight, Red Sox catcher Sandy León popped a routine foul ball up, one that looked to be heading safely into the crowd. Urshela trucked his way over to the end of foul territory, getting a glove on the ball shortly before hitting the boundary. That’s when the nets, which the Yankees extended last season down the foul lines, came into play, preventing Urshela from spearing the tank-topped gentleman directly into his seat:

The net also helped stop Urshela’s momentum and keep the ball barely in his glove for the out. Maybe now people will stop complaining about the nets, and just enjoy all the new ways they are helping players get on the highlight reel without injuring themselves or anyone in their immediate vicinity.