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Phillies to extend protective netting over dugouts in 2017

The Phillies will expand the protective netting at Citizens Bank Park to cover both dugouts, a decision that follows a growing safety trend in Major League Baseball and satisfies the wishes of some players.

"We think this is a reasonable step which will provide additional protection for fans," said Mike Stiles, the team's chief operating officer. "We believe that we can do this without obstructing the views of any of our fans."

The netting over the dugouts will be eight feet high. The team disclosed the change in an email this week to season-ticket holders. Previously, the netting behind home plate ended at the closest end of the dugouts. Now it will reach the far end of both dugouts.

Last August, after Phillies shortstop Freddy Galvis struck a young girl with a hard foul ball, he expressed his anger that there was no netting to protect her. Major League Baseball issued new guidelines prior to the 2016 season, guidelines that urged teams to expand the netting over both dugouts but did not expressly require them to do so.

"What year is this? 2016? It's 2016 and fans keep getting hit by foul balls when you're supposed to have a net to protect the fans," Galvis said last August. "The fans give you the money, so you should protect them, right? We're worried about speeding up the game. Why don't you put up a net and protect all the fans?"

Only Kansas City, Minnesota, Texas and Washington constructed netting that covered the entire length of the dugouts in 2016. More teams are expected to add it in 2017, but it is unclear how many will.

Stiles, in December 2015, said the team's fans "differ in their opinions about sitting behind protective netting." Early last season, the Phillies decided to reconsider netting over the dugouts.

The Phillies said they have invited affected season-ticket holders to visit Citizens Bank Park to view the new netting, which is expected to be installed by the end of January.