Atlanta Braves
Atlanta Braves

Braves raise height of protective netting at Turner Field

Braves and Yankees fans battle for a foul ball by Yankees' Jacoby Ellsbury at Turner Field on Sunday, August 30, 2015, in Atlanta. Curtis Compton / ccompton@ajc.com
Braves and Yankees fans battle for a foul ball by Yankees' Jacoby Ellsbury at Turner Field on Sunday, August 30, 2015, in Atlanta. Curtis Compton / ccompton@ajc.com
By Staff and wire reports
March 3, 2016

The Braves are adding more protective netting between the dugouts for their final season at Turner Field.

The netting, which extends in both directions to the dugouts, will be raised by 20 feet, from 10 to 35 feet high, to match the height of the screen directly behind home plate.

In response to fans being injured by foul balls last season, Major League Baseball recommended that teams provide more protection for field-level seats within 70 feet of home plate.

A 6-year-old girl's skull was shattered when she was struck by a foul ball at Turner Field in 2010.  Fans were also seriously injured by foul balls or flying bats at Boston's Fenway Park, Miller Park in Milwaukee, and Comerica Park in Detroit in 2015.  A 60-year-old insurance agent died after he fell 50 feet onto concrete steps at Turner Field in 2015.

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