Heads Up! Fans are closer to the action, and the danger, at Petco Park

By: CLIFF KIRKPATRICK - Staff Writer | Wednesday, April 7, 2004 7:29 AM PDT ∞

SAN DIEGO -- A long-standing guideline for those attending a baseball game has been spectators must pay attention to avoid being hit by a ball.

Never has that been more true for Padres fans who will visit Petco Park. With the smaller, more intimate venue, the dangers of being struck by flying objects while in the stands increases dramatically.

The seats are closer to the game along both sides of the diamond, compared with Qualcomm Stadium. That enhances the experience, but it also means a foul ball or stray bat is in your lap sooner.

The closest fans on the third-base side at Petco are 33 feet, 8H inches away from the infield. At Qualcomm, they were 44 feet away. It's slightly closer on the first-base side. The distance was 42 feet at Qualcomm and is 33 feet, 4 inches in the new park.

Even the protective net behind home plate is smaller than Padres fans are accustomed to. The larger dimensions at Qualcomm demanded an extra large net. At Petco the net is 20 feet high and 105 feet in length, with wings just smaller than 10 by 5 down low along the dugouts.

"Because of the proximity of the seats, the ball coming off the bat will be there a little faster than before," said Tim Katzman, the Padres' fan representative. "It goes without saying that a baseball is very dangerous when it comes off the bat."

To alert fans of potential hazards, Katzman said ticket representatives will warn buyers, especially the elderly or those who are witnessing a baseball game for the first time, to not sit in certain seats. There also are signs posted at the ballpark to remind fans of how close they are to the game.

"It's a customer courtesy," said Katzman of the signs. "It's something we can do here, since we are part owners, that we couldn't do at Qualcomm. We know people down on the first- and third-base lines are socializing more than watching the game."

Katzman said it was a nightly occurrence for a fan to be struck by a foul ball at Qualcomm Stadium. That's not as bad as it sounds. Fans frequently tried to catch the ball, but couldn't handle the impact. Jammed fingers or slight bruises were reported to the on-site first aid facility.

There have been no serious, or life-threatening, injuries that the Padres are aware of from the Qualcomm days, Katzman said.

In the 1980s and '90s Major League Baseball and clubs were hit with a string of lawsuits by people who were struck by balls, and felt they weren't protected enough by the ballclub.

The White Sox and Cubs were frequently named in suits, so an Illinois senator at the time, Bill Marovitz, pushed through a state law in '92 that removes liability from the club, saying people understand the risk of being at a baseball game.

Other states adopted similar measures. There's a disclaimer on the back of a baseball ticket warning fans of balls being hit into the stands.

In the smaller park, the Padres' good fortune with few fan injuries may end. Bruce Kessman, the assistant general manager in charge of stadium operations for the Lake Elsinore Storm, said his club has dealt with a few serious injuries.

The Storm is the Padres' affiliate in the Single-A California League, and plays in one of the newer, small minor-league ballparks from which the Padres took ideas for Petco Park.

"We'll always have that," said Kessman of the threat of injuries. "There's always that risk. It's an assumed risk. If they want to sit close, they know."

Kessman said that about every other year there's a serious injury. Recent ones were from a bat that slipped out of the hitter's hands, and another from a line drive that hit a fan's head.

Whenever a ball sails into the stands, even if it lands near no one, a Petco Park staff member will check with the fans to find out if assistance is needed from the first aid center in the park. The medical team will monitor the game to be on the move before that, if necessary.

While there are added dangers with a smaller field, there are bonuses, too. For those looking for a free baseball, less foul territory means fewer foul outs and more souvenirs.

In the long run, the smaller field may help determine whether Petco Park is a pitcher's paradise or batter's haven. With less area for fielders to catch those foul outs, batters will have reprieves to put the ball in play.

Since the park will not open until two hours before the game on weekends and 90 minutes beforehand during the week, the best place to find a home-run ball during batting practice is the Park at the Park, the grassy knoll behind center field.

Fans will be allowed in there more than two hours before each game, during the glut of batting practice. Katzman said balls should be flying into that area on a regular basis, so fans must be careful there, too.

"We just want to make sure the fans are alert," Katzman said. "People get hit all the time at baseball games. It's part of the game. Getting a ball is also part of the game, and we want to create a good environment for the fans."

Contact staff writer Cliff Kirkpatrick at (760) 943-2315 or ckirkpatrick@nctimes.com.