It had been 563 days, which included a worldwide pandemic and a World Series appearance (Rays Up!), since I had been to a baseball game.
This past week, I was finally let back into the ballpark, and while things look very different than the last time I attended a game, it felt like life was slowly getting back to normal.
Summer for me has always been surround by baseball, attending games at my home stadium of Tropicana Field or timing up a trip to attend a game at a new stadium around the country. I have been fortunate to travel to over 10 MLB stadiums and can’t wait to visit more now that stadiums are allowing a limited capacity back into the ballparks.
So if you want to get out and check out a game, what should you expect? Well, it’s different from ballpark to ballpark.
Specifically, if you want to see the Rays at Tropicana Field, masks are required at all times except while eating or drinking. They are completely cashless and do not allow any bags into the ballpark (that is MLB-wide). As of now, they are only allowing 9,000 fans per game, and tickets are released a month at a time.
The reigning World Series champs, the Los Angeles Dodgers, are designating two sections to fully vaccinated attendees. To enter these vaccinated sections, you will need proof that at least two weeks have passed since your final vaccine dose. Social distancing will not be required, but mask wearing is. Other California teams are also implementing this type of seating; the Giants and Padres have very similar options available to vaccinated fans.
The New York Mets are requiring all fans 3 and older to provide proof of either full vaccination, a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours of game day, or a negative rapid test within 6 hours of game time. The team recommends you use the Health Pass by CLEAR (a company we’ve written about when it comes to getting through the airport quickly) to confirm your COVID-19 status.
If you are curious about what other MLB stadiums are doing or are planning on attending a game this season, here is what you can expect on a stadium by stadium breakdown.
Now let’s play ball!!
