Catching a foul ball can invigorate a fan’s baseball game experience. That ballpark openness can also end awry and grim as it did Wednesday…
Catching a foul ball can invigorate a fan’s baseball game experience. That ballpark openness can also end awry and grim as it did Wednesday night when a foul ball struck a young girl in the stands off the bat of Chicago Cubs outfielder Albert Almora.
Almora’s emotional reaction illuminated an ongoing debate between the Major League Baseball and its players who believe fan experience shouldn’t jeopardize safety.
All 30 major league teams have extended the protective netting around home plate before the 2018 season, but it does not cover the entirety of the lower bowl. The MLBPA proposed in both the 2007 and 2012 collective bargaining agreements that mandatory netting extend from foul pole to foul pole (as it does in Japan). But ultimately, stadium netting is up to each individual team.
Here’s a look at the 30 stadiums and the netting situations at each ballpark:
Anaheim Angels, Angel Stadium: Protective netting extends between sections 110-126, from the ends of each dugout.
Arizona Diamondbacks, Chase Field: Protective netting extends between sections 115-129; sections G-M.
Atlanta Braves, SunTrust Park: Protective netting extends between sections 118-133.
Baltimore Orioles, Camden Yards: Protective netting extends between sections 16-58, including three sections beyond the end of each dugout.
