SEATTLE — About a week from Opening Day, one of the big jobs at T-Mobile Park falls to the zip tie crew.
They’re closing off seats to keep groups of fans six feet apart.
“We’re going to go with pod seating,” said Malcolm Rogel, Vice President of Ticket and Event Services for the Seattle Mariners.
Pods will have between one and six seats.
“You have to buy the entire pod. You can’t just buy two of the four and someone else buys the other two,” Rogel said.
Bringing back fans is a big deal after last year’s delayed, shortened baseball season with only cardboard cutouts in the stands.
Only 9,000 fans will be allowed for now.
Opening Day is sold out, but tickets for the remaining ten games in the first two homestands are available and go on sale Thursday at 10 a.m.
“It’s been 542 days since we had a fan at T-Mobile Park. We are thrilled we are so excited to have fans back and it’s clear they’re ready to come back,” Rogel said.
To minimize contact, all tickets will now be digital.
Food for sale will be pre wrapped.
Gov. Jay Inslee allowed fans to return when he announced outdoor venues can open to 25% capacity.
“It was emotional in the front office, people were crying, hugging - not really, these air hugs, so it was really incredible that we were going to be able to do this again,” Rogel said.
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