The Toronto Blue Jays have announced details on extended protective netting that will be installed at Rogers Centre, a project the team will complete prior to Opening Day on March 26.
The new protective netting will be extended down the length of the first and third baseline walls, to Sections 113C & 130C, respectively, tapering off to the curve before the foul poles. The height of the extended netting will match what was in place behind home plate during the 2019 season (30 feet), and the color and knotting will be the same as well.
In order to maintain the current netting height without adding support poles, the field facing walls of the dugouts, media bays, and baseline walls have been shifted forward to ensure the net can run flush along a cable around the lower bowl. These modifications will reduce foul ball territory; however, despite the change, Rogers Centre still will have one of the largest foul ball territories in Major League Baseball.
Player and fan interaction is one of the most memorable parts of a trip to the ballpark. Additional information about the netting, including how fans will be able to access the field and interact with players, will be announced prior to Opening Day once the netting is in place.
In August, the Blue Jays announced that they would extend protective netting at both TD Ballpark in Dunedin and Rogers Centre for the 2020 Spring Training and regular seasons, respectively.
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