CLEVELAND -- The Lake County Captains are committed to providing fans with top-flight minor-league entertainment, and they are joining a movement across the sport of baseball to better protect their patrons.
The Captains and City of Eastlake have announced plans to extend safety netting at Classic Park ahead of the 2018 season.
“The Lake County Captains take fan safety very seriously and take many steps during each game to alert fans about the inherent risks of broken bats and foul balls inadvertently entering the stands,” said Neil Stein, general manager of the Captains.
“While the Captains have many measures in place to remind fans to pay attention to the game at all times, this additional netting will create more awareness about fan safety and provide more choices for attendees who would prefer to sit behind the protective net. We have been working closely with the City of Eastlake on this project, and are glad that the extended safety netting will be in place for our fans by Opening Day.”
The netting currently in use is in line with Major League Baseball standards, as it covers sections 108 to 113, which goes from the start of the visiting team's dugout along the third-base line behind home plate and to the start of the Captains' dugout along the first-base line.
Now, the netting will extend to sections 106 and 107 along the first-base line, as well as sections 114 and 115 behind and beyond the visiting dugout, thus providing coverage to the outfield grass.
The Captains have partnered with Victory Athletics out of Mantua, Ohio, on this project, and will replace all of the existing netting behind home plate in addition to constructing the new sections of protection.
After researching various materials, the Captains will have a stronger, thinner netting material called Dinema, which is 50 percent thinner than the previously used nylon in order to provide protection while reducing the vision impact on the game.
“The City of Eastlake built Classic Park to provide a safe, affordable entertainment destination for the folks of northeast Ohio,” Eastlake Mayor Dennis Morley said.
“This additional safety netting helps to ensure Classic Park remains a safe and welcoming ballpark for fans coming to Eastlake to catch one of the Captains' 70 home games, a Lake Erie College baseball game or for any of the numerous other events hosted at the ballpark annually.”
