SPRINGDALE -- Northwest Arkansas Naturals manager Vance Wilson recalled many instances throughout his career where bats and balls have flown into the stands and hit fans.
But one incident stands out. It involved New York Mets teammate Jeromy Burnitz, whose bat flew into the stands and struck a young fan in the face in 2002. The fan needed reconstructive surgery, and it took 80 stitches to close the wound.
At A Glance
Covering The Texas League
Major League Baseball sent out a recommendation prior to the 2016 season to help insure fan safety at ballparks across the country. Every Texas League Ballpark meets the criteria in the recommendation, but most have improved to exceed them. Here is a breakdown of each Texas League ballpark:
Ballpark^Date Opened^Location^Changes Made
Arvest Ballpark^2008^Springdale^Replaced netting behind home plate and extended it to the end of each dugout before the 2017 season, covering an addition six sections of seats.
Dickey-Stephens Park^2007^North Little Rock^Extended netting to the end of each dugout before the 2016 season.
ONEOK Field^2010^Tulsa^Extended netting to the end of each dugout before the 2016 season.
Hammons Field^2004^Springfield^Extended netting to the end of each dugout and increased the height prior to the 2016 season.
Nelson Wolff Municipal Stadium^1994^San Antonio^Netting extends to the beginning of each dugout, no improvements have been made since the ballpark’s opening.
Security Bank Ballpark^2002^Midland^Netting extends to the end of each dugout since the stadium was built.
Dr Pepper Ballpark^2003^Frisco^Extended netting to the end of each dugout prior to the 2016 season to cover an additional 2,000 seats approximately.
Whataburger Field^2005^Corpus Christi^Netting extended to the end of each dugout, covering an addition 1,250 seats in four sections.
At A Glance
Northwest Arkansas Naturals Homestand
At Arvest Ballpark, Springdale
On The Air: KYNG-AM 1590
Series Schedule
Today: vs. Frisco, 7:05 p.m.
Wednesday: vs. Frisco, 11:05 a.m.
Thursday: vs. Frisco, 7:05 p.m.
Friday: vs. Midland, 7:05 p.m.
Saturday: vs. Midland, 6:05 p.m.
Sunday : vs. Midland, 6:35 p.m.
This Week’s Promotions
Today: Arvest customers may purchase $5 dugout premium tickets, along with two-for-one specials on kids’ zone wristbands and game programs for everyone. Groups of 20 or more may purchase $5 first-base and third-base tickets if reserved in advance. Brats are also $1.
Wednesday: School Kids’ Day.
Thursday: It’s Buck Night as mozzarella sticks and 12-ounce Coke fountain drinks are $1, while bags of peanuts and 16-ounce Pabst Blue Ribbon drafts are also $2.
Friday: Post-game fireworks.
Saturday: The first 1,000 kids in attendance will receive a Strike-themed jersey. Enjoy happy hour from 4:35-5:35 p.m. before the game with half-price specials at the Bullpen Craft Beer Bar. There will also be post-game fireworks.
Sunday: Kids 12-and-under eat free, while all kids can run the bases following the game. There will also be post-game fireworks.
Ticket Packages
• Home plate/Super Premium: $14
• Dugout Super Premium: $13
• Dugout Premium: $11
• Reserved: $9
• Grass Berm: $8
- Individual tickets $1 off when purchased in advance of game day.
Online
"Burnitz lost his bat, and you just heard this blood-curdling scream," Wilson said. "It was a 14-year-old girl, and it just laid her face open. She was having a birthday party and picked her special day to come watch us play. It was awful. Unfortunately, I've seen a lot of it."
The Naturals and the city of Springdale got together prior to the start of this season and extended the netting to the end of each dugout. The netting previously stopped at the beginning of each dugout.
Rob Manfred, commissioner of Major League Baseball, sent out a directive prior to the 2016 season asking all stadiums to provide "protective netting or barrier of their choosing for any seat within 70 feet of home plate." All ballparks in the Texas League were within compliance of the suggestion, but Arvest Ballpark was one of several to go beyond the guidelines from MLB.
Naturals general manager Justin Cole said he had conversations with other Texas League teams, Naturals ownership and Springdale city officials about what to do to increase fan safety.
"It became if we can do this and it's not going to detract from anybody's experience, why would we not?" Cole said.
The project eventually involved replacing the existing netting behind home plate, along with extending it to the ends of each dugout at a cost of $21,575.90, according to Wyman Morgan, director of financial and administrative services for the city of Springdale.
"It had been through two ice storms that had aged our net faster than normal," Cole said. "And now it's just one solid net behind home plate instead of a bunch of vertical cables."
Cole acknowledged a few complaints from fans about seeing through the netting. But longtime Naturals season ticket-holder Stacy Wright admitted he's changed his mind about the netting at least when it comes to his three-year-old grandson.
"As a fan, I don't like it," said Wright, who's had seats on the front row behind the Naturals' dugout since Arvest Ballpark opened. "I'm old-school, but now I have a three-year-old grandson. Before I had to watch him like a hawk; now he can run all over."
Wilson, who often flipped foul balls to fans from his third-base coaching box, said the additional netting is much-needed.
"It's long overdue," Wilson said. "There are other ways hopefully to get a ball. The Kids' Days are the one's you worry about the most where you've got about 600 kids and about five are paying attention. There are so many different things that can happen. The net changes the safety aspect for the better."
The Naturals have three School Kids' Days scheduled, along with another involving summer camps. Paid attendance for the last School Kids' Day at Arvest Ballpark two weeks ago was more than 8,000.
Naturals catcher Allen de San Miguel lost the handle on his bat that day. But instead of flying into the stands, the bat bounced off the netting, and a couple of players dodged the object.
Shannon Compton brought a group of seventh- and eighth-graders from Elmwood Middle School in Rogers to Arvest Ballpark as part of Career Day. Even though they are a little older than the elementary school youngsters, going to the ballpark is still a new experience for some, Compton said. The netting makes teachers and administrators rest a little easier.
"A lot of these kids, it's their first time to the ballpark, and they don't know a ball might fly at them," Compton said. "The netting is a great idea."
Ed Ray, a Naturals season ticket-holder since 2009, always has been behind the netting behind home plate and likes it that way.
"I told Justin early on they should put the netting all the way down the lines," Ray said. "Major League Baseball has done the right thing. It doesn't hamper the enjoyment of the game.
"Those seats behind each dugout are a nitro zone. Now you don't have to worry about catching one in the forehead."
Sports on 05/23/2017