Prior to spring training 2018, protective netting within Hammond Stadium at the CenturyLink Sports Complex will be extended, according to an announcement from the Minnesota Twins and Lee County.
With this announcement, Hammond Stadium becomes the latest spring training venue to have its protective netting extended for 2018, joining the likes of George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa (New York Yankees) and LECOM Park in Bradenton (Pittsburgh Pirates). The Twins had previously announced plans to extend the netting at their regular-season home, Target Field, with that installation expected to complete before the 2018 season.
“Over the years, Hammond Stadium has earned a reputation as one of the most intimate spring training venues in all of baseball,” Twins President & CEO Dave St Peter said. “With that reality in mind, we feel extending the ballpark’s netting is in the best interest of our fans. In addition to ensuring fan safety, we are equally committed to installing the best available netting product aimed at minimizing obstructed views for our fans.”
Prior to the start of the 2018 Spring Training season, the Twins and Lee County will replace and improve the existing protective netting behind home plate while also extending the netting down each foul line beyond the first and third base dugouts. The new netting will cover sections 102 thru 114 and reach a height of 30 feet tall from end to end, covering sections 201 thru 217 behind home plate.
As is being completed at Target Field in Minneapolis, MN, the fan safety netting at Hammond Stadium will be crafted using state-of-the-art technology, with thin strands and a knotless intersection to deliver a minimally obtrusive viewing experience. Additionally, the new netting will be composed of a combination of green hues to allow the netting to blend with the playing field and provide greater visibility.
In addition to protective netting revisions, the Twins and Lee County will continue to implement a communication plan to warn fans about the dangers posed by batted balls and bats entering the stands and the need to pay attention to the action on the field during each at-bat. This plan will include warning messages via in-ballpark signage, messaging on tickets and other team-controlled platforms.
RELATED STORIES: Best of 2017, #4: MLB Teams Extend Netting at Ballparks; Twins Latest MLB Team to Announce Extended Netting; Indians to Extend Progressive Field Netting; Pittsburgh Pirates to Extend LECOM Park Netting; Red Sox Proposing New Fenway Park Seating–But No Word on Extended Netting; Milwaukee Brewers to Extend Netting in 2018; Yankees to Install Extended Netting for 2018; Tigers, Cubs Extending Ballpark Netting for 2018; Blue Jays to Reevaluate Rogers Centre Netting; Yankees Under New Pressure to Extend Netting; At Least Three MLB Teams Extending Netting for 2018; Fan Struck by Foul Ball at Yankee Stadium; Manfred: MLB-Wide Policy on Netting a Challenge; New Citi Field Netting Brings Praises, Curses From Mets Fans