As spring training nears, the A’s are working toward allowing a limited number of fans into their Cactus League home games in Arizona.
A plan submitted by the A’s to the city of Mesa would limit attendance at Hohokam Stadium to about 2,000 fans per game with enhanced health and safety protocols.
The A’s have not yet announced plans to have fans at spring training games, which are scheduled to begin later this month, but MLB has approved the team’s proposal, The Chronicle has learned.
Mesa’s deputy city manager Marc Heirshberg wrote in an email Friday: “The city has accepted the plan and appreciates the effort and details the A’s have considered to protect players, staff and fans. Mesa is looking forward to working with the A’s to host a safe, healthy and successful 2021 spring training season.”
Hohokam Stadium can hold about 10,000 fans; the A’s plan would reduce capacity to 20% with physically distanced seating, according to a summary on the city of Mesa’s website.
Seating would be in pods of two or four seats, with each pod at least 6 feet from the next pod. Outfield lawn seating would be in pods of four marked by paint on the grass.
Face coverings would be required for fans 2 and older at all times except when actively eating or drinking in their seats; eating and drinking won’t be allowed in common areas.
Unused seats would be zip-tied or marked with staff and security positioned around the stadium to ensure distancing. Concessions stands would operate at 30% and the A’s team shop would only be open on game days to ticketed fans with a 25% occupancy. Tickets would be sold on a single-game basis — no season tickets — and delivered digitally.
Gates would open an hour before first pitch, so it’s likely batting practice would be over before fans enter the stadium.
With spring training camps scheduled to open league-wide in less than two weeks — A’s pitchers and catchers are due to report Feb. 17 — it’s still widely unclear if or how fans will be allowed at games.
Last month, Cactus League officials wrote a letter to MLB asking to delay spring training due to high coronavirus infection rates in Maricopa County. A proposal from MLB to its players’ union last week included delaying spring training and the regular season by about a month and shortening the season to 154 games; the proposal was rejected by the union, and MLB this week said it was moving forward with an on-time start to spring training.
On Friday, the city of Tempe, Ariz., announced it will allow Tempe Diablo Stadium, the Angels’ spring home, to open at 25% of capacity for spring training games, about 1,800 fans. Salt River Fields, shared by the Diamondbacks and Rockies, has announced it would begin ticket sales Saturday but said in a Twitter post Friday it was postponing sales: “Due to further review regarding Spring Training details.”
The A’s are scheduled to play their spring training home opener Sunday, Feb. 28, against the Mariners, one of their 15 Cactus League games at Hohokam Stadium.
Matt Kawahara covers the A’s for The San Francisco Chronicle. Email: mkawahara@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @matthewkawahara
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February 06, 2021 at 07:03PM
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A’s submit initial plans to allow some fans at spring training games - San Francisco Chronicle
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