Major League Baseball commissioner Robert Manfred expresses optimism regarding the presence of spectators at ballparks during the 2021 season
Commissioner Rob Manfred expressed his eagerness to have fans back in ballparks during a video chat on Tuesday. He mentioned that Major League Baseball (MLB) is preparing for its 2021 season with fans in attendance, subject to city approval.
Manfred emphasised the need to be more aggressive about having fans in ballparks, believing that it's not tenable for teams to continue operating without spectators. He stated that fans will be allowed in ballparks if local public health authorities permit it.
The 2021 season will likely not have full stadiums, but will aim to get people accustomed to attending live events safely. This approach is a departure from the 2020 season, where fans were absent due to the pandemic. However, towards the end of the 2020 season and postseason, fans were present at the LCS and World Series in Texas, even though local jurisdictions had started to open up.
Manfred believes that teams will need to operate safely with league-wide protocols in place. He believes that fans will be accustomed to attending live events with appropriate protocols, such as pods of people, social distancing, masks, and safe distancing.
The 2021 season is scheduled to start on April 1. Last year, the league went nearly two months without a positive case during the final stretch of the 2020 season and postseason. The 2020 season started amidst dwindling COVID-19 numbers, but the Miami Marlins experienced massive outbreaks during the first games of the season. Despite these challenges, cities across the nation began slowly re-opening businesses and easing restrictions during the 2020 season.
The decision to keep fans out of the stadium likely avoided difficulties during the opening week. However, MLB and its teams collectively lost out on $3.1 billion in 2020 due to the lack of fans in seats for a year.
Meanwhile, Minor League Baseball (MiLB), affected by attendance-limiting social distancing rules and a shortened schedule in 2021, saw much lower attendance than subsequent "normal" seasons. MiLB clubs had to adjust their operations as they anticipated fewer fans due to lingering COVID-19 impacts and structural changes reducing the number of teams starting in 2021.
As the U.S. continues to vaccinate its population and COVID-19 cases decline, the phased reopening of stadium capacities aligned with evolving public health policies will allow MLB to resume normal attendance levels primarily by late 2021. Smaller leagues like MiLB, however, may continue to experience more prolonged attendance declines.
Sources: 1. MLB.com 2. Forbes
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