Orioles To Extend Protective Netting Before Next Homestand

While the Baltimore Orioles are away on a road trip, crews at Camden Yards are extending protective netting from foul pole to foul pole at Camden Yards.

The netting will be the same height as the existing backstop netting, team officials said in a statement.

“The Orioles and the Maryland Stadium Authority, in conjunction with [ballpark architect] Populous and other experts in the field, researched all available options and performed due diligence to determine that this is the best and safest option for Oriole Park."

The safety and security of our fans is of the utmost importance as we continue cultivating a fun, fan-friendly, and affordable experience for everyone to safely enjoy Orioles Baseball.



We are further extending protective netting at both Oriole Park and Ed Smith Stadium. pic.twitter.com/baU3IupLq0 — Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) August 29, 2019

The netting will cover section 6 to section 70. The Orioles have areas covered by netting marked on the team website.

The new netting will be in place in time the the next Orioles home game on Sept. 5 against the Texas Rangers. Similar netting will be in place at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota, Florida, by the start of spring training.

“The safety and security of our fans is of the utmost importance to the Orioles as we continue cultivating a fun, fan-friendly and affordable experience for everyone to safely enjoy Orioles Baseball," team officials said.

A number of other Major League Baseball franchises have either extended netting at their ballparks or announced plans to do so, following a number of high-profile incidents involving fans struck by foul balls. The nearby Washington Nationals extended additional netting during the All-Star break.

In July, the Chicago White Sox became the first team to have netting that goes from pole to pole. That decision was made days after a foul ball at Guaranteed Rate Field sent a woman to the hospital with her head bleeding.

In August, Illinois Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth asked the league to report data about fan injuries.

Commissioner Rob Manfred, however, has resisted mandating that all teams extend netting to the foul poles, saying different ballpark configurations make a blanket rule impossible.

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The Associated Press contributed to this report.