Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports
The Scottsdale Stadium stands will not be packed, but they won’t be empty, either.
The Giants have received permission from Major League Baseball to host fans at their home spring training games, the club announced Wednesday. They will be working with Scottsdale to host about 750-1,000 fans per game for the Cactus League season, which begins Feb. 27 and ends March 27.
“Current season ticket members at Scottsdale Stadium will have first priority to purchase tickets and the Giants will contact those individuals this week to discuss seating options,” the team said in a statement. “Seats will be sold in pods of 2 or 4 in socially distanced locations throughout the ballpark. Fans will also be required to wear face coverings and practice social distancing.”
Scottsdale Stadium has a capacity of 12,000, so less than one-tenth of the park will be filled. Unclear, as of now, are whether there will be staggered entrance (and exit) times and how food purchasing will be conducted.
Maricopa County, which includes Scottsdale, has been particularly ravaged by the coronavirus, which has infected nearly a half-million and killed more than 8,000 in the county. Last month, Cactus League officials, including Scottsdale Mayor David Ortega, signed a letter asking for spring training to be delayed. MLB could not strike a deal with the Players Association, and that delay did not happen. The Giants’ first full-squad workout is Feb. 22.
The revenue that spring training brings in is massive. The most recent data available, from Arizona State University’s school of business, estimated that the 2018 season in Arizona resulted in a $644 million local economic impact.
