The San Francisco Giants aren’t scheduled to host their first 2021 game at Oracle Park until Friday, April 9, but the franchise has already developed plans to reopen the ballpark to the general public when it’s safe to do so.
In a letter to Giants fans published to the team’s social media channels on Monday, CEO Larry Baer said the organization can “see a pathway to welcoming our fans back to Oracle Park” during the upcoming season.
Baer acknowledged the team, the city of San Francisco and the state of California continue to grapple with the uncertainty the COVID-19 pandemic has caused, but also laid out details regarding changes fans can expect when they’re permitted to return to Oracle Park.
Dear #SFGiants fans:
📝 https://t.co/tFHYZ2nfV2 pic.twitter.com/2Drdx4S6w7
— SFGiants (@SFGiants) January 25, 2021
The Giants have been in regular contact with local and state officials since the beginning of the pandemic and did not allow fans into the park at any point during the 2020 regular season. With COVID-19 vaccinations expected to increase in the coming months, Baer wrote that he’s “more optimistic” about the year ahead.
When fans are allowed back inside Oracle Park, the Giants expect to require health screenings, face coverings and social distancing in all areas of the park. To accommodate social distancing, the team will “substantially modify” how employees and fans navigate the ballpark which includes offering a complete food and beverage experience for fans through the MLB Ballpark app.
Baer’s letter noted that the team is still developing seating plans, but all plans will prioritize season ticket holders while working to maintain their seating locations.
As the Giants’ first home game against the Colorado Rockies draws closer, the team is preparing to launch a “FanSafe Program” which will provide fans with regular preseason updates and more detailed information on updated health and safety protocols.
Many other teams around Major League Baseball have updated fans on their efforts to sell tickets for the 2021 season and reduce seating capacities inside their stadiums to accommodate social distancing. After no teams were allowed to have fans enter stadiums during the 2020 season, MLB sold 11,500 tickets per game to the NLCS and the World Series at GlobeLife Field in Arlington, Texas.
On October 20, 2020, California Gov. Gavin Newsom and the State Public Health Department released guidance that allowed professional sports teams to sell a limited number of tickets for outdoor events in regions where COVID-19 is not rapidly spreading. No teams in California have been able to host fans due to the spread of the coronavirus, but guidance is expected to evolve as a larger percentage of the population receives vaccines.
