At their home opener this month, the Yankees unveiled new protective netting at Yankee Stadium, running from the area behind home plate to deep into both corners of the outfield, a response to both the recommendation of the baseball commissioner and three serious injuries sustained by fans last season.

While few fans criticized the netting itself, there were complaints about the support poles that held up the eight-foot-high netting. Some said the poles obstructed their view of the field.

One fan, in particular, voiced his objection to the poles, and his voice was heard by Yankee management. The fan? Hal Steinbrenner.

As a result, when the Yankees returned from a trip on April 16, the poles were gone, replaced by a steel cable that suspends the netting from above and eliminates the obstruction created by 11 padded black poles.