BILLINGS — Due to safety concerns, the baseball industry has moved toward netting that extends down the first and third baselines.
Billings Parks and Recreation officials have been discussing extending netting down the first and third baselines at Dehler Park.
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In recent years, fans have been struck by baseballs leaving the field of play at Dehler Park. In 2023, one woman was hit by a foul ball at a Billings Mustangs game wrote a letter to the city, requesting more nets.
The City Council addressed these concerns Monday night, considering two options for the netting.
One would last 10 to 20 years, and the second would have a shorter lifespan of 5-10 years, but it would be approximately $45,000 cheaper.
The money for extending and replacing the netting would come from the Dehler Park Capital Improvement Fund, which is funded through fees on ticket sales at Mustangs games and the city.
“This funding is dedicated specifically to the ballpark," Parks and Rec Superintendent Cole McQuillan said.
While some spectators want the netting, others don’t due to visibility of the game being obstructed.
“There are those who support it and those, of course, don’t want to be looking through a net. Those are valid concerns on both sides,” said McQuillan.
Following the vote, the project will coordinate with the teams who play at Dehler Park, including the Mustangs, American Legion teams and others.
