Visitors to Guaranteed Rate Field will notice a major change to the stadium when the Chicago White Sox host their first game after the All-Star break. The White Sox have become the first team in Major League Baseball to install foul pole to foul pole netting to protect fans from hard-hit foul balls. We will see it for the first time when the White Sox host the Miami Marlins on Monday, July 22.
White Sox got to work extending the protective netting at Guaranteed Rate Field to each foul pole — the 1st MLB team to do so.
Here's your first look, with photos from @ChiTribPhoto.https://t.co/KWOGyRu0e0 pic.twitter.com/pWUqmpeuM8
— Chicago Sports (@ChicagoSports) July 11, 2019
There have been growing cries to extend the protective netting in baseball stadiums since late May. A young girl in Houston was struck by a foul ball when the Astros were facing the Chicago Cubs in a game at Minute Maid Park, and her reaction left many players shaken. Albert Almora Jr. had to be consoled after the accident, and he has helped lead the push for protective netting.
MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred has stated that the decision to extend protective netting from foul pole to foul pole will be a team-by-team decision, and the league has no plans to make it mandatory. He has noted the inherent difficulties since stadium dimensions aren’t uniform in baseball like they are in other sports, but other teams have already stated their intentions to add netting.
Pirates President Frank Coonelly says the Pirates are in the active planning stage to extend the protective netting at PNCPark to or near the foul polls. Not waiting for MLB directive. Timeline uncertain. @KDKA @KDKARadio
— John Shumway (@KDKAShumway) June 27, 2019
The Pittsburgh Pirates, Washington Nationals and Texas Rangers have all issued statements that they will be adding netting sometime in the near future. Pittsburgh and Washington have not yet given a timetable on when this is expected to take place, but Texas has said its new stadium will have protective netting when it opens in 2020.
JUST IN: Senators Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth have sent a letter to MLB commissioner Rob Manfred calling for all 30 teams to extend protective netting down the right- and left-field corners. https://t.co/5qkfZhJ4VC
— Chicago Sun-Times (@Suntimes) June 27, 2019
Illinois Senators Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth have expressed their concern with regards to this issue too. They sent Manfred a letter at the end of June pushing for the commissioner to make the netting mandatory across MLB.
H/T: Chicago Tribune
