First Look At The Phillies New Safety Screens
by Mike DeNardo
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- On Saturday, some Phillies fans will get their first look at the extended protective netting at Citizens Bank Park.
New this season at Citizens Bank Park, is eight-foot-high protective netting that extends all the way to the end of the dugouts.
The Phillies are holding an open house Saturday, from 10 am until 2 pm, for 200 preregistered season ticket holders who want to see how the new netting will affect their view of the field.
"We can't please everybody. But, I think we are in general pleased with what we are doing, taking into consideration the safety of the fans," said Michael Stiles, Phillies Executive Vice President and Chief Operation Officer.
The Phillies are the sixth team in Major League Baseball to install the longer safety netting.
Stiles says safety outweighs the impact on the fan experience.
"It's a balancing act. But we didn't agonize over it. We really got direction from our president Andy MacPhail, who is supportive of this idea to extend it," he said.
Stiles says the Phils were already considering extending the safety screen when shortstop Freddy Galvis last season called for more netting after his foul ball struck a young girl in the face.