The San Francisco Giants' long-awaited home opener against the Colorado Rockies is set for Friday afternoon, the first game with fans since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic.
The team has made some last-minute changes to keep crowds happy and safe.
"Opening Day, you know, the electricity of sitting next to a stranger who’s in Giants gear all decked out, you’re going to be in your pod and these are two of four, generally, and maybe a row away will be the next folks," Giants CEO Larry Baer told KCBS Radio’s Stan Bunger early Friday.
"You’ll have some room to spread out," he added.
Oracle Park attendance is being limited to 22% capacity - around 9,000 fans - to promote social distancing and required masking, unless you're eating or drinking. Among those enforcing the pandemic rules at the ballpark is the San Francisco Police Department.
"Having games back just brings life, it bring vitality and it lifts the spirits of our police officers," San Francisco Police Officers Association’s Josh Cabillo told KCBS Radio.
Fans are being assigned to one of nine sections, where they can order food and merchandise using the "Mobile Food Ordering" tile on the team page of the MLB Ballpark app.
At the Oakland A's home opener last week, there were many complaints about delays in food ordering, a side effect of the new era of food consumption during the COVID-19 crisis.
That’s why Giants CIO Bill Schlough said they've added information on the app about how long your order might take.
"You can’t see a line at the stands, so everyone might order at the same time and hope that they get to pick it up in five minutes," he said. "That’s not realistic. One of the main lessons learned for us is managing expectations up front. So, when you place your order, you’ll have a feel for how long it’ll take until it’s ready for pickup."
If you're going to the game, be sure to bring your COVID-19 vaccination card or proof of a negative COVID-19 test.
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