BSN Exclusive: Safety netting expanded at Nationals Park; Coors Field next

On Friday, the Colorado Rockies became the latest MLB club to release a statement regarding expanded safety netting for fans at their park. 

“With fan safety being a top priority at Coors Field, we are currently evaluating all netting options for the 2020 season with architects and engineers (height, length, weight, materials, wind-load, etc.) to ensure we are making the best, long-term decision for our fans and the ballpark experience.”

Coming on the heels of a four-game set with the Washington Nationals, who recently expanded the safety netting in the home stadium, the Rockies are hoping to prevent more unnecessary injuries in Denver.

As the first National League team to feature expanded netting in their ballpark. Scott Fear, Nationals’ Vice President of Public Safety and Security, spoke with BSN Denver in a one-on-one conversation with his team’s choice to improve safety at Nationals Park.

“There’s been some serious incidents throughout Major League Baseball this year and in years past,” Fear began. “Believe me, from the top down at this organization, safety is number one. We wanted to make sure our fans were safe when they came to the ballpark.”

Fan safety became a focus in just the past few seasons for MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred. In urging all 30 MLB teams to extend the typical screens behind home plate to protect fans behind each dugout, all teams complied at the start of the 2018 season and some even continued the protection to go past the end of both dugouts.

Though the teams eventually acquiesced, they did so only after numerous injuries across MLB games and even the death of a fan last year. The improvement also came years after the Major League Baseball Players’ Association (MLBPA) made proposals to the collective bargaining agreements to expand safety netting from foul pole to foul pole in 2007 and 2012.

Rockies catcher and 14-year MLB veteran Chris Iannetta spoke about these recommendations, saying, “The players and the Players’ Union have been at the forefront of lobbying for getting that extended for a very long time. I think we’ve all understood the risk of sitting in those seats.”

On July 21, a foul ball off the bat of All-Star Francisco Lindor injured a fan in Cleveland. Speaking with reporters after the game, Lindor said, “I encourage every MLB team to put the nets all the way down. I know the fans, it’s all about fans experience of interacting with players, but at the end of the day, we want to make sure everybody comes out of this game healthy and we gotta do something about it.”

On June 10, White Sox slugger Eloy Jimenez ripped a foul ball down the line at Guaranteed Rate Field in Chicago that struck a fan who was later taken to the hospital.

Less than two weeks earlier on May 29, Chicago Cubs Albert Almora, Jr. hit a scorching foul ball at Houston’s Minute Maid Park that found its way into the stands, seriously injuring a young girl. The visibly distraught outfielder was so disturbed by the image that he sought embrace from a nearby security in the waking moments of the incident.

On September 20, 2017, mere months before the adoption of increased netting across all 30 MLB ballparks, a small child was hit by a Todd Frazier foul ball and sent to the hospital with multiple facial fractures and bleeding on the brain.

And last year, on August 25 at Dodgers Stadium, a 79-year-old woman was killed by a brain hemorrhage caused by blunt force trauma from a Franmil Reyes foul ball behind home plate.

More events of fan injury have certainly occurred, but the injuries sustained are not as severe and, thus, go largely unreported. Thankfully, a change is in the air.

While numerous teams like Colorado have announced plans to go foul pole to foul pole no later than the start of 2020, only two teams have worked to make immediate improvements: Chicago White Sox and Washington Nationals.

The White Sox debuted their new netting system last Monday against the Miami Marlins going around the lower bowl of their grounds, save the outfield section, and Washington displayed the new setup at Nationals Park for the first time on Tuesday against Colorado.

By adding 175 feet of net on each side of the field from the dugout down the foul line, Fear believes safety at Nationals Park has increased, as has the ability to savor the game to a new level.

“We want (fans) to be able to come, enjoy the game, relax, not worry about being hit by a ball coming off a bat 100-105 miles per hour. Or a splintered bat breaking and going into the stands. So we made a quick decision. We got it done during the All Star Break, and we think the fans are going to be really pleased with it,” Fear explained.

In order to get this new expansion of netting done right, the Nationals started from scratch by removing the pre-existing setup with the value of fan safety taking priority over cost.

“We had some engineers come out and take a good look at (the netting) and (it’s) all been re-engineered since the nets that were here last year,” Fear said of the improvements. “(It took) approximately eight days to put the netting up. These are all new netting all the way around.  All new cabling, all new engineering for the whole thing. It’s a lighter, no-knot netting that’s 95% see-through. So it’s really high-tech netting, the best out there, and we’re pleased with what we picked.”

Nationals reliever Michael Blazek, who pitched two innings in the first game with extended netting on Tuesday night during Washington’s 11-1 victory, seconded the increased fan safety as well as the reaction time required to protect not only one’s self, but anyone unable to do so in their area. 

“I think it’s really awesome to see that Major League Baseball’s taking an initiative and protecting the fans,” Blazek said. “You never want to see anyone get hit, especially with the way guys are hitting the ball now so much harder. I’ve been down there on the lines with the bullpens on the field and some of the balls coming off the bat, whether it’s right field or left field, are just too fast. We can’t even react when we’re that close to it.”

When Washington completed the upgrades before the 2018 season, the initial feedback from season ticket holders and fans was understandable. 

“For years, netting has been behind home plate, but we added it over the dugout and so there were some remarks about that. But again, for years and years, people have paid high-dollar prices for seats behind home plate with a net there in front of them, and have enjoyed the game thoroughly,” Fear explained.

Rockies’ manager Bud Black was in favor of the changes in D.C.  “Overall, it’s a good idea,” he said. “We’ve seen some tragedies and some injuries occur, as of late, which you try to avoid. It’s really a better question for the fans to see how they’re ok with it. I haven’t heard anything that it has impacts on the game visually with the screen. I’m not sure, but I think, generally speaking, it’s a positive.”

The initial response from fans at Nationals Park sitting up close to the new netting were relatively positive, especially Josh Greene from Vienna, VA, and his young son. “We come out for the experience,” Greene shared. “I think the fact that there’s a little bit of a safety margin sitting down here is reassuring as a parent. The view is still great.”

Mike Bucci of Gaithersburg, MD, attends over ten big league games each season, with half at Nationals Park and the rest across the country for various blood drives that earn him free tickets. While unaware his seat for the game would be impacted by the new netting, he’s in favor of new precautions, even if they’re not necessary for him.

“When I purchased them, I didn’t know this seat would be impacted by the netting,” Bucci said. “My initial thought was that I could live with that. I wouldn’t make that decision, but I understand the reason behind it.” 

The biggest impact of the netting thus far has been the engagement between fan and players, something that has never been a factor for those sitting in the front row down the first and third base lines.

“I get here early so I can watch the pitcher go out and offer encouragement,” Bucci explained. “They’re in the zone, but I feel like I’ve got a connection with the player. And that is (gone). Now I have a net.”

In anticipation of the next batch of comments regarding these diminished connections, Fear and his team at Nationals Park came up with a solution.

“We opened up above the dugouts some retractable netting so fans that come early for batting practice get that interaction with the players. That wasn’t there last year. That was closed. So we’ve opened that up for more interaction for the fans before the game starts where it’s safe and batting practice is taking place.”

Carlos Estévez is compassionate for those fans inconvenienced by the new safety features. “I get it. It takes a little bit of the experience away for the fans, but it’s to protect them because anyone can get hurt. Throughout my years in baseball, from the minors all the way up through here, I’ve seen many, many people getting hurt,” Estévez said.

“I think all of us in the game, even those of us in uniform, we want what’s best for the game,” Black said of the issue surrounding expanded netting. “A lot of times, the fans will tell us. They’ll tell Major League Baseball, the Commissioner’s Office, the Players’ Association, and the 30 owners what they feel is best for the game. If this is something they feel is best for the game, you’ve got to do it. It’s pretty simple.”

Fear concluded by saying, “There’s going to be people with concern, and we understand that. And it’s going to take some time to get used to for some of the people that have been coming out a long time and not sitting behind a net. But the majority of the fans are reacting very positively.”

The final verdict on expanded netting and fan safety may not yet be known, but what is clear is that during the Rockies-Nationals four-game series, no fans left on the stretcher. Ultimately, it may simply be a matter of life and death in order to measure the success of expanded fan safety going forward.