CHICAGO – A pledge that was made by the franchise in June has been fulfilled at their ballpark in July.
On Wednesday, the Chicago White Sox began to install more netting at Guaranteed Rate Field that will extend down the lines all the way to the foul pole. The franchise along with the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority initially announced the move on June 18.
Today the @whitesox announced that they’ve begun installation of protective netting that extends from foul pole to foul pole at Guaranteed Rate Field. Will be ready when the team returns on Monday, July 22nd against the Marlins. @WGNNews pic.twitter.com/JCLH9k5Gl9
— Larry Hawley (@HawleySports) July 10, 2019
The White Sox release video of the work on the netting that began on Monday and continues through this week.
It's a good time for the team to do the work, considering the All-Star Break is this week and the team is playing their first ten games of the second half of the road.
On Wednesday the White Sox said in a statement that the nets are going to be completed in time not only for the team's next game on Monday, July 22 against the Marlins, but also the Double Duty Classic on Wednesday, July 17.
Right now, there is no mandate from Major League Baseball to extend the netting to the foul poles. In 2018, all MLB ballparks moved their netting to the far end of the dugout as awareness for fan safety has risen over the past two seasons.
That has only increased in 2019 after a few fans were injured by foul balls hit hard into the stands. One of the more prominent incidents involved Cubs outfielder Albert Almora Jr., who hit a line drive against the Astros at Minute Maid Park on May 29th struck a young girl in the stands.
