White Sox To Play First Home Game With Extended Protective Netting
CHICAGO (CBS) -- White Sox fans headed to the game Monday night against the Miami Marlins will notice a big change at Guaranteed Rate Field, as the protective netting now stretches from foul pole to foul pole.
The White Sox extended the nets over the All-Star break, becoming the first team in Major League Baseball to provide protective netting to the foul poles.
#WhiteSox are first MLB team to begin installing extended protective netting down the line to both foul poles at Guaranteed Rate Field. Next home game is Monday, July 22nd. @cbschicago
— Krista Ruch (@KristaCBS2) July 10, 2019
video courtesy: White Sox/SoxTV pic.twitter.com/U4JXqCIQiA
The team took that step after a woman was hit by a foul ball hit by outfielder Eloy Jimenez at Guaranteed Rate Field on June 10, and a 4-year-old girl was struck by a foul ball off the bat of Chicago Cubs outfielder Albert Almora Jr. in Houston in May.
The Washington Nationals also recently extended their protective netting further down the foul lines, but not all the way to the foul poles.
The Texas Rangers will extend their netting further down the foul lines next season in their new stadium. The Pittsburgh Pirates also have announced plans to extend nets to or near the foul poles, although they haven't said when.
The other teams in the league have netting that stretches to the ends of the dugouts.