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ATLANTA (AP) —ng the 2015 death of a fan who fell from the upper deck at an Atlanta Braves game Jed Lowrie Jersey , Nolan Ryan says guard rails at the Texas Rangers‘ stadium had to be raised “to protect our fans from themselves.”Ryan, the former Hall of Fame pitcher, was Rangers president when he led the effort to have rails raised at The Ballpark in Arlington following the death of a fan, Shannon Stone, who fell in 2011.Gregory Murrey, who was 60, fell from the upper deck at the Braves’ former stadium, Turner Field, on Aug. 29, 2015. The Braves and Major League Baseball are defendants in the lawsuit filed by Murrey’s family, including his wife, Laura.The lawsuit contends fan deaths at other parks should have led MLB to demand all teams have higher guard rails.Ryan now is a special adviser for the Houston Astros. When asked in a deposition if he believes the Astros’ Minute Maid Park is safe, he said he would not be comfortable taking his grandchildren to the upper deck of the park.“You go to the upper deck and those angles are really steep so people can view the field,” he said.“And are they safe?” Ryan asked. “If I was up there with my grandkids I’d be very nervous because kids will be kids and somebody gets excited and they run down and lean over the rail. But I’m very guarded about that and I wouldn’t want to — it makes me nervous is the best way for me to describe that.”The lawsuit disputes MLB’s position that it doesn’t regulate the rail heights at stadiums. The lawsuit notes MLB in 2015 recommended the extension of netting to the end of dugouts to protect more fans at all parks from being injured by foul balls.Significant portions of documents made public have been redacted due to confidentiality issues being contested by attorneys for Murrey’s family.A hearing is expected regarding motions in the case, including the confidentiality issues, within two months.There was no response to a message left by The Associated Press at the office for an attorney for MLB.Ryan was the Rangers’ president from 2008-13. He said the decision was made to raise the rail heights after falls by two fans, including Stone’s fatal fall, within a year.“Well http://www.athleticsfanproshop.com/authentic-khris-davis-jersey , we had two incidents in one year and I felt like it was something we needed to look at and there was a lot of discussion about it,” he said in the deposition. “We brought in some consultants and looked at it, and I just chose that we raise them to try to protect our fans as much as we could.”He said the decision was made even though the stadium’s rail heights met International Building Code standards.“Well, I just felt like that we probably need to protect our fans from themselves,” Ryan said.The Rangers raised railings from 33 inches to 42 inches, at a cost of $1.1 million.Rail heights at Turner Field met or exceeded industry code standards which call for a minimum height of 42 inches for guard rails in front of such open areas as walkways. Railings in front of seated areas must be 26 inches or taller. Murrey fell over a rail that was 30 inches high.Murrey’s death was the third by a fan at Turner Field. In 2013, a fan’s death was ruled a suicide. In 2008, police cited alcohol as a factor after a man died.The Braves moved to SunTrust Park in suburban Atlanta for the 2017 season. Turner Field was purchased by Georgia State University and was converted to a football stadium. Rockies news and links for February 5, 2019"WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections Scaling the RocksPebble ReportRockpileRockies Game ThreadsRockies Fan ExperienceRockpileYoung hopefuls in the Rockies systemNew,117commentsRockies news and links for February 5, 2019MSTShareTweetShareShareYoung hopefuls in the Rockies systemRockies prospect guide: Analysis on Colorado’s top up-and-coming players heading into spring training | Denver Post ($)There’s no doubt that the Rockies have some promising young talent in their farm teams. In fact, we’d better have that given the fact that Jeff Bridich hasn’t made many offseason moves. The Rockies have groomed many players within their system, which allows for the depth needed throughout the long season. Kyle Newman at the Denver Post has put together a list of some top prospects for the Rockies. You’ve got Brendan Rodgers and Garrett Hampson as familiar infielders, and there’s also Josh Fuentes, Tyler Nevin, Colton Welker, Ryan Vilade, and Grant Levigne looking to contribute to that dominant infield. The Rockies will have plenty of players ready for the outfield Walt Weiss Jersey , with the existing players, along with prospects Sam Hilliard and Yonathan Daza adding to the mix. The pitching rotation also has some young talent to keep an eye on. For starters, the prospects include Peter Lambert, Ryan Castellani, Riley Pint, Mike Nikorak, and Ryan Rolison. There are some promising relievers, including DJ Johnson, Justin Lawrence, Jesus Tinoco, Sam Howard, Ben Bowden, Mitch Horacek, Reid Humphreys, and Rayan Gonzalez. 2019 could see some exciting young prospects, so be sure to keep an eye out.Analysis: Why Rockies ace Kyle Freeland is the most underrated player in all of baseball | Denver Post ($)Kyle Freeland wowed Rockies fans last year, becoming a local favorite. He’s gotten some buzz after finishing fourth in Cy Young voting, but he is still remarkably underrated. Much of the focus has been on figuring out a deal with Nolan Arenado Marcus Semien Jersey , but Freeland will likely be a key contributor in getting to the World Series. Despite his phenomenal numbers, Freeland still gets very little national attention. Given the fact that he plays for the Rockies, this isn’t terribly surprising, but he deserves much more. In 2018, he had a 2.40 ERA at Coors Field, and a 2.85 overall ERA. He was a huge factor in the win against the Cubs in the wild card victory. Rockies fans know how fantastic Freeland is, and 2019 might let the rest of the baseball world find out.Colorado Rockies: Predicting the 2019 Opening Day 25-man roster | Rox PileKevin Henry at Rox Pile speculates about what kind of Opening Day roster the Rockies might see. Daniel Murphy and Mark Reynolds were the moves the Rockies made this offseason, so we could expect to see them both on there. The outfield will probably hold Charlie Blackmon, Ian Desmond, David Dahl, and Raimel Tapia. Ryan McMahon, or possibly Garrett Hampson, will take DJ LeMahieu’s place at second, with Daniel Murphy at first, Trevor Story at shortstop, and Nolan Arenado at third. Tony Wolters and Chris Iannetta will man the plate. Kyle Freeland is likely to gain the starting spot on Opening Day, with German Marquez, Tyler Anderson http://www.athleticsfanproshop.com/authentic-khris-davis-jersey , Jon Gray, and Chad Bettis rounding out the rotation. The bullpen will likely contain Seunghwan Oh, Scott Oberg, and hopefully a much-improved Bryan Shaw. Mike Dunn, Jake McGee, and Wade Davis will fit in there as well. This seems like a pretty safe bet for Opening Day, but only time will tell. Charlie Blackmon Doesn’t Have to Deal With The Slow Market For Free Agents But Is Concerned By It | ForbesCharlie Blackmon played his cards right and found himself a deal with the Rockies that allowed him to avoid arbitration. He was also able to avoid the brutally slow free agent market. Blackmon acknowledges that good players are still going to find a place, but he didn’t necessarily want to risk the market. Blackmon hopes that the market won’t continue on this way, but says that players should be ready to face it or make changes for the future. Harper or Machado Megadeal Would Be out of Character for Chisox | FanGraphsLots of folks are keeping an eye on Bryce Harper and Manny Machado this offseason. Both are likely to pick up major contracts. The usual big spenders have shown some interest, but surprisingly, so have the White Sox. Historically, the White Sox have not made major contracts, but they seem pretty confident they’ll sign one of the two. Jay Jaffe at FanGraphs has broken down each team’s big contracts. It’s an interesting look, and we’ll just have to keep waiting to see where Harper and Machado end up.