ATLANTA — The Atlanta Braves says it is "constantly evaluating ways to ensure fan safety while maintaining the game day experience and will continue to do so."
The statement follows the death Saturday of a season ticket holder who fell from an upper deck at Turner Field during the seventh inning of a game against the New York Yankees.
Greg Murrey, 60, of Alpharetta, died after plunging 40 feet. He fell over the rail in section 401. The Fulton County Medical Examiner ruled Murrey's death an accident and the result of blunt force trauma. He had no underlying medical condition, according to the medical examiner.
A lawyer who advises professional sports teams on venue safety told Channel 2's Tom Regan the minimum height requirement for safety rails is 26 inches. That standard was established in 1927.
"Were people the same height now as they were in 1927? Did they do the same things in 1927 that they do in stadiums now? I think a fair reading of that is, no not really," said Steven Adelman.
Adelmansaid he would favor raising the height of safety rails in upper decks of stadiums. He also believes many sports teams don't want to impose safety measures that would adversely affect the game day experience.
"There's always a tension between being able to see, to preserve sight lines, or people won't go to the ball park, versus keeping people safe from themselves in many instances,” said Adelman
Three people have died from falls at Turner Field in the past eight seasons. One death was ruled a suicide.
"When millions and millions of fans go to the ball park without incident every year, at every ball park and then you look at something, like the tragedy Saturday night at Turner Field, it put it into perspective. We are talking about something that is incredibly rare," said Adelman.
Adelman said sports fans should be aware of their surroundings when attending a game.
“Pay attention. Look around you and see the hazards that are there. Take proper precautions in addition to what structural safety benefits there are," said Adelman.
The Braves also said Monday "proper safety protocols" will be in place for the opening of SunTrust Park, the new home of the Braves in 2017.