PHOENIX — While Major League Baseball has not yet made an official determination if Spring Training will go on as scheduled or will be delayed, the 10 stadiums in Arizona are preparing for both possibilities.
Both Salt River Fields, which hosts the Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies, and Tempe Diablo Stadium, which hosts the Los Angeles Angels, will operate at significantly reduced capacities, will require masks, have a strict "no bag" policy, have people spread out into "pods," along with other COVID-19 safety measures, according to website updates and news releases.
Other stadiums were continuing to work and finalize their plans.
Tickets for the Arizona Diamondbacks 15 home games at Salt River Field at Talking Stick, near Scottsdale, were supposed to go on sale on Saturday, Feb. 6. However, Friday afternoon, the Salt River Fields Twitter account said ticket sales were temporarily postponed "due to further review regarding Spring Training details."
"We will alert fans with information about a new on sale date when it is available," the tweet said. The same message was also on the official D-backs Spring Training website.
Due to further review regarding Spring Training details, the D-backs and Rockies will be temporarily postponing ticket sales to Spring Training games. We will alert fans with information about a new on sale date when it is available. pic.twitter.com/U8FtGNd9FR
— Salt River Fields (@SaltRiverFields) February 5, 2021
ABC15 has reached out to the Arizona Diamondbacks organization.
In a Facebook post on Friday afternoon, the Cactus League Association said it is "prepared to open spring training camps as scheduled."
"Each of the Cactus League’s eight host municipalities and the tribal community participated in a task force to ensure that our 10 spring training facilities will provide a safe environment for all involved. Operating procedures are forthcoming and will depend entirely on health guidelines," the statement said.
At the end of January, the Cactus League, as well as every city that hosts a Spring Training team in Arizona, including the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, asked in a letter that Spring Training be delayed. Ultimately, it's a decision between MLB and the MLB Player's Association.
According to media reports, the MLB proposed a plan to delay Spring Training, which was rejected by the Player's Association.
The City of Tempe said in a news release that Tempe Diablo Stadium would fill the stadium at 25% capacity, or about 1,800 - 2,000 fans.
Currently, workouts are scheduled to begin on Feb. 17 with the first home games scheduled for Feb. 27.
