The White Sox debuted their new extensive protective netting at Guaranteed Rate Field Monday night to mixed reviews from fans.
The Sox, who are the first MLB team to have safety netting extend to both foul poles in the outfield corners, installed the addition over a three-day period during the All-Star break last week.
Several fans were in support of the netting, including Jason Sall of New Lenox, who called it a “small price to pay” for fan safety.
“At first, I was shaky about it,” Sall, 18, said. “I was like, ‘What about the foul balls and everything?’ But ... it’s a lot better to have everyone safe than to have anything tragic happen to anybody else than to get a ball at the game.”
But not everyone embraced the netting as some worried it would hamper fan experience.
Sheldon Williams, who sat in the second row down the right-field line with his 8-year-old daughter, said he didn’t “particularly care for it.”
“I understand it’s a safety thing but down further [behind the plate] I understand,” said Williams, of South Holland. “But right here, this is where I wanted to sit at so I have a chance to catch a ball.”
Liz Donnellan, who had tickets down the left-field line with her two kids, called extending the netting an “aggressive move.”
“I understand someone got hurt by a baseball, but to a certain extent you come to a sporting event knowing that something can happen, so extending the net all the way to the end, really takes away from the fan experience,” said Donnellan, who also said the netting would hurt fan attendance. “My son’s really into baseball and he was hoping to get a ball and maybe one signed, but that’s not going to happen.”
Players will have to adjust to the new netting as well.
A Sox spokesperson said the netting beyond the dugout will be treated as a wall. Meaning if a ball is overthrown, it’ll remain in play unless it’s above the dugout.
Sox players supported the netting because it eased their worries of injuring a fan at the plate. Tim Anderson saw both sides of the argument.
“I think it’s good, safety for the fans,” Anderson said. “It will also limit us with autographs and seeing the fans. We’re going to see what happens.”
