One item on the agenda at this year's Major League Baseball Winter Meetings was to discuss the possibility of expanding the safety netting at Major League ballparks. With dozens of injuries in recent years (and thankfully no fatalities in recent memory), Major League Baseball felt that the issue had gotten severe enough that they should at least make a recommendation on expanding netting. Note that this is a recommended accommodation, not mandatory, but the Phillies were already moving forward on some safety measures.
The Phillies released the following press release explaining their response to the recommendation:
The Phillies announced today, in response to new protective netting recommendations from Major League Baseball, that they plan to expand the area covered by their netting at Citizens Bank Park to conform to the MLB recommendations.
Phillies Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Michael R. Stiles said: “We intend to comply with Major League Baseball’s new recommendations. We anticipate that such compliance will require us to expand our protective netting behind home plate about 10 feet in width on both sides, reaching to the near side of each dugout. We also plan to replace all of our existing netting with newer material which is as strong, but thinner and more easily viewed through.
“We understand that our fans differ in their opinions about sitting behind protective netting and we will do our best to accommodate those different preferences. We will take the opportunity in the upcoming season to remind all of our fans about the importance of being alert to the possibility of balls and bats entering the stands throughout the ballpark.
“We also anticipate that a similar modest expansion of protective netting will be installed at Bright House Field, our spring training ballpark in Clearwater, Fla., to conform to the MLB recommendations.”
The Phillies already had expanded netting in the works.
This summer the Phillies were ready to move forward with some extra protective netting but stopped their progress. The reason was that the team wanted to wait to see if there would be any MLB regulations that would alter their plan. While MLB offered recommendations, not mandates, the Phillies will take the step in favor of safety.
