Measure how far the farthest bat has flown. Put up netting to there, plus 5 yards.
Bats also have much, ,much thinner handles than they used to. Go ahead, google something like “Mickey Mantle bat” and you will see many pictures of bats used by ol’ Number 7. Then Google “Mike Trout bat.” Or any other modern star. The handles are visibly thinner. This allows for the bat to be slightly lighter but have more weight towards the ends - which makes them more prone to shattering.
I go to a ton of games (don’t tell the people my stats for this year, Asimovian). I have poor depth perception and I literally think every ball is coming towards me. It’s scary and it sucks.
Closest I ever came was in about 2014, behind the plate but to the right of the net (a bit before Progressive Field’s net expansion) a ball came screaming two rows ahead of us. Someone had a badly bruised arm. My friends and I were all cowering like babies.
I am nervous as hell when I’m down near the dugouts. I literally only sit down there when I’m with my friend who brings her glove (I don’t bother to bring my glove. I can’t friggin see fast enough.)
I generally avoid screaming-foul-ball areas, and prefer lazy-pop-up-foul-ball areas like the second deck.
Excellent seats, to me, are behind the plate and behind the net.
I also like the DH so I’m sure no one gives a fuck what I think about nets. I guess I leave it to the team insurance consultant to decide where to put the nets, and buy my tickets in safer zones.
ZipperJJ, why do you bother with good seats then? Just sit somewhere much safer. (I also like the DH rule being an evil scum-sucking Yankees fan like I am).
Most game I’ve gone to in the last 20 years have not been where I need to worry about foul balls or bats simply as I don’t want to pay that kind of money most of the time.
As I said above, I don’t like the idea of the extra nets but I sadly see the need for it these days.
One could wear a Darth Vader helmet. Might even get on camera that way. 
Am I the only one who brings a glove?
The netting I’ve seen has been made of about 1.75" nylon mesh. Not difficult at all to see through, IMO. Takes maybe ten minutes to adjust to, if that long.
People object more to losing the opportunity to catch a foul ball than the effect on visibility.
I go to about a dozen games per year, often courtesy of free tickets, contests, special access to discounted good seats, etc. Or my friends want to sit down there. It’s rare that people actually want to go to baseball games at all so I don’t bitch about ticket locations 
The last two times I was behind the plate in the lower deck in seats I purchased I was behind the net. It was fine and easy to see. And safe.
Those seats in Cleveland are like $60 by the way. They are not the same as New York I try to sit in all different places throughout the season.
struck me as though this person was watching the game through knotholes.
Definitely not, as I mentioned before. But as the video mhendo linked to above demonstrates, that wouldn’t help most people. The ball was “hitting” most of those people before they had even registered that there was a ball.
Heck, ten minutes? I adjust to it in ten seconds; your eyes focus it away pretty quickly. I barely notice if I’m behind the netting or not.
I agree. It’s essentially invisible. You won’t miss anything because the netting is there.
Yes. I overshot, I guess. Didn’t want to hurt feelings. The net is no more obstructive than sunglasses.
I thought this might be an appropriate time to resurrect this thread.
A young girl—a “toddler” according tothis ESPN story—took a line-drive foul ball to the face at today’s Yankees game. She was taken to hospital, but no info yet on her condition.
Get the fucking nets up, already.
mhendo, I agree they should just go ahead and get it up and it sounds like it will be up for next year. However, from the radio broadcast I was listening to live, the net may not have helped this toddler.
ETA: I found 1 report that she was in section 026. So based on that the extended netting would have protected her.