The Toronto Blue Jays will extend protective netting at both Rogers Centre and spring training’s Dunedin Stadium in 2020, becoming the latest MLB team to plan such a project.
Conversation about extended netting at ballparks has become more prominent in recent months, particularly following a May incident in which a young girl was injured by a foul ball during a game at Houston’s Minute Maid Park. In the period since, several teams around Major League Baseball have either extended netting at their facilities or announced plans to do so in the near future.
In the case of the Blue Jays, the team is planning to extend netting farther down the baselines at both Toronto’s Rogers Centre and Dunedin Stadium–their spring-training ballpark that is currently undergoing a major renovation–by the beginning of the 2020 spring training and regular seasons. These plans were revealed by the team in an announcement issued on Tuesday, though the exact configuration of the netting will be announced at a later date.
“Fan safety is paramount to the Blue Jays and we believe that fans should feel protected and secure during our games,” Andrew Miller, Executive Vice President of Business Operations, Toronto Blue Jays, said in a press statement. “Extending the protective netting at Rogers Centre and Dunedin Stadium is a clear next step for our organization and one that reflects our team’s values. As fans and followers of the game, it is vitally important for us to preserve and enhance the live baseball experience, while also ensuring everyone who visits our ballparks can do so safely,”
As noted, there has been a flurry of news regarding extended netting projects around MLB in recent months. The Chicago White Sox and Washington Nationals both extended netting during the season at their respective facilities, Guaranteed Rate Field and Nationals Park. Several other MLB teams have also publicly stated their plans to extend protective netting at their current facilities in the near future, including the Los Angeles Dodgers, Pittsburgh Pirates, Baltimore Orioles, and Kansas City Royals.
RELATED STORIES: Guaranteed Rate Field Extended Netting Debuts; Expect Extended Netting Conversation to Continue; Royals to Extend Kauffman Stadium Netting; Orioles Planning to Extend Protective Netting; Railroaders Extend The Depot’s Protective Netting; Shorebirds to Extend Netting at Arthur W. Perdue Stadium; Dodger Stadium Protective Netting to be Extended; Nationals Park Extended Netting on Tap; Cougars Happy with Extended Netting; Guaranteed Rate Field Netting Extending to Foul Poles; Manfred: I Don’t Expect In-Season Netting Changes; Calls Come for Extended Netting at MiLB Ballparks; MLB Players: We Want Extended Netting; Foul-Ball Injury Likely to Revive Issue of Ballpark Netting Rules; Manfred: Extended Netting on Tap for All MLB Teams