The Major League Baseball 2021 season is fast approaching and teams are beginning to make decisions about fan participation. There will be no unified Major League Baseball plan; instead, it will be up to each individual team. Most baseball teams this year have worked with the local government and health departments to come up with a plan that will allow baseball fans, in limited numbers, to return to the stadium.
However, Texas Rangers on Wednesday announced a plan that differs significantly from other clubs. The Rangers are planning to allow the fans full capacity to start the season. The Rangers will allow 100 percent occupancy with the masks required for fans at Globe Life Field for the April 5 Opening Day game against Blue Jays. The team is also expected to allow full capacity for its final two exhibition games against the Brewers on March 29 and 30.
“The Rangers are excited that the Governor’s Office has given authorization to open Globe Life Field fully at the beginning of the Major League Baseball 2021 season,” said COO and Business Operations President Neil Leibman in a statement to the press on Wednesday. “We will require that everyone who enters the Globe Life Field wear a mask or facial covering and are working with the Major League Baseball on some additional protocols necessary for the health and safety of the player. We will continue to monitor developments and implement public health measures. We are excited that Rangers fans will finally be able to experience all that Globe Life Field has to offer. “
Texas Governor Greg Abbott removed the mandate from the state’s mask and restrictions on meetings last week, challenging health officials.
The MLB has outlined guidelines to allow fans to return to the stadiums this year and, at this point, social detachment and wearing masks will be applied, but no vaccine checks or negative results from the COVID-19 test will be required.
The coronavirus pandemic forced the decision not to allow fans to participate in the games during the abbreviated regular season of 2020, but there were up to 11,500 fans allowed in each post-season game at the Globe Life Field last year for the neutral website NLCS and World Series .
CBS Sports is following the participation plan of all 30 MLB teams for the 2021 season.