White Sox Announce They're Significantly Extending Nets at Guaranteed Rate Field

The Chicago White Sox announced in their pregame notes Tuesday that the organization plans to extend the protective netting around the ballpark to the foul poles this summer.

The decision, agreed upon by both the team and the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority, stems from an incident in Houston in late May in which a four-year old girl was hospitalized after being struck by a foul ball off the bat of Chicago Cubs outfielder Albert Almora Jr. The outfielder was visibly shaken after the incident and stated postgame that he hoped to develop a strong relationship with the girl and her family for the rest of his life.

Guaranteed Rate Field will be the first in the MLB to extend its protective netting to the foul poles. To this point, the furthest the netting extends in any ballpark is to the ends of the dugouts.

The move by the organization is a great decision in an otherwise forgetful season for the White Sox. The team sits at 34-36 and 12.5 games back of the division-leading Minnesota Twins in the AL Central.

The future of the game looks to be trending in the direction the White Sox are going. With pitchers throwing harder and exit velocities increasing off the bats of hitters, it's only common sense to protect the fans in the stadium as the game becomes more dangerous for spectators. Look for more teams to follow suit as the season continues.