NORFOLK — The Norfolk Tides and Diamond Baseball Holdings (DBH) recently announced the extension of protective netting to each foul pole at Harbor Park.
Major League Baseball requires all Professional Development League (PDL) ballparks to have extensive protective netting by the beginning of the 2025 season. Minor League Clubs are required to install netting from foul pole to foul pole. The height requirement for the netting from behind home plate to the end of each dugout is standardized across Minor League Baseball.
The nets at Harbor Park previously ended at the end of each team’s dugouts, and are now stretching from foul pole to foul pole, excluding the outfield. The height of the net was also raised to increase fan safety, according to the club.
“Minor League Baseball is an exciting option for families to spend time together and experience professional baseball in an up close and personal way. By taking this action, our PDL Clubs have underscored their commitment to ensuring the safety of fans remains a top priority,” said Dan Halem, Deputy Commissioner of Major League Baseball.
A consultant specializing in stadium architecture and protective netting was retained to help develop and assess compliance with the new mandate, the club said.
“By extending our netting, it will make Harbor Park safer for families, kids and fans to enjoy Tides baseball,” said Norfolk Tides General Manager Joe Gregory.
In addition to the net extensions, new seats continue to be installed in all sections of the ballpark. The seat installation project is expected to be completed over the next month.