With the city of Oakland and Alameda County barring all gatherings of 1,000 people or more through the end of March, the Oakland Athletics are exploring how to manage their season-opening series against the Minnesota Twins.
The city of Oakland and Alameda County took the step to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
The A’s are slated to host the Twins in a four-game season-opening series beginning March 26. There are three options on the table: shifting the series to Target Field, shifting the series to another MLB ballpark, or playing the games at HoHoKam Stadium, the team’s spring-training home in Mesa. A fourth option, playing the games without fans at Oakland Stadium, doesn’t appear to have much traction at this point.
The quandary facing the A’s comes at a time when preventing the spread of the coronavirus has led public-health officials to take steps against public gatherings. Last night the NBA suspending its season after a Utah Jazz player tested positive for the coronavirus, while the Seattle Mariners are also searching out alternative venues for their late-March season-opening series after local health officials banned large gatherings.
The statement from the A’s:
We are unwavering in our support of public health, and ensuring the safety of our community is our top priority. Following the City of Oakland and Alameda County’s announcement today prohibiting public gatherings of 1,000 people or more through the end of March, the Oakland A’s are working with Major League Baseball on alternative plans for our games that will be impacted at the Oakland Coliseum.
We will provide more information about our plans for the games, including our ticket policy for impacted games, as soon as possible.
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