Another team has unveiled its extended-netting plans for 2018, as the Oakland Athletics announced netting will be installed to the end of the dugouts at the Oakland Coliseum and the A’s spring-training home, Hohokam Stadium.
“We are committed to delivering a great experience while also ensuring the safety of our fans,” said A’s President Dave Kaval in a press release. “The additional netting coverage is in line with the safety recommendations by Major League Baseball.”
The netting will extend from section 112 to 122 at the Coliseum and will be a similar color green to the field grass to minimize its visible impact to fans and television viewers. The team also announced a similar installation at Hohokam Stadium, the team’s spring-training home in Mesa, Arizona.
Over the last several months–particularly in the period since a young girl was severely struck by a foul at Yankee Stadium in September–there has been a steady rise in the number of teams that are extending the netting at their ballparks. Besides the Athletics, several other teams will extend netting at their regular-season homes, including the Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, Toronto Blue Jays, Detroit Tigers, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Cincinnati Reds, San Diego Padres, Los Angeles Dodgers, Los Angeles Angels, Colorado Rockies, Seattle Mariners, New York Yankees, Cleveland Indians, Minnesota Twins and Milwaukee Brewers.
Hohokam Stadium is also the latest spring training venue with plans for extended netting. Netting for spring training games is also being extended at Camelback Ranch-Glendale, Ed Smith Stadium, Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium, Steinbrenner Field, Hammond Stadium and LECOM Park.
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