AZ Sports

Cable issue will force Chase Field’s roof to remain still while fans are in ballpark

Roof open, New York Mets vs. Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday, May 17, 2017 at Chase Field in Phoenix, Ariz. ICON
An inspection of Chase Field's roof uncovered concerns about the integrity of the cables used to pull it open and closed, Diamondbacks President Derrick Hall said on Friday, adding that the club will have to keep the roof stationary when fans are in the building.

Hall said there is no threat of the roof collapsing, but inspectors informed the Diamondbacks that a broken cable could potentially endanger fans.

“It’s almost like a bungee-type rope,” Hall said. “Could it snap and fall and hit a fan? They just don’t know how far it could drop, how far it would go down. They don’t want to take the chance. But it’s not as if the roof could cave in.”

Sections of the ballpark’s roof are connected by more than four miles of cable strung through a pulley system, which is operated by 200-horsepower motors.