PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — With city COVID-19 restrictions eased to permit a limited number of fans at games, the Phillies are getting ready for the home opener. But it'll be a different experience for the less than 9,000 fans allowed at Citizens Bank Park.
Opening Day on April 1 will be without the traditional pomp and circumstance, according to Phillies Executive Vice President Dave Buck.
"It'll be way scaled back," he said, "and that's not great, but at the same time, we're going to use the first six games as six Opening Days."
Season ticket holders get the first crack at the 8,800 seats allowed to be sold for the first 19 games, and tickets will be availble to the general public Friday, March 12.
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There won't be any vendors in the stands, however, and bathrooms will be marked for social distancing.
"The concessions will be scaled back, but it'll be scaled back appropriately so you can still social distance," explained Buck. "Everything will be in a wrapper or a container, and the bathrooms will be cordoned off and so forth, so we think we're in pretty good shape.
Masks will be mandatory, and Buck said that's not negotiable.
"It's up to us as fans to wear masks because the city is going to demand it," he said. "So our employees are going to be continually asking and so forth, but I don't want the fans to screw this up and not wear masks. We need to wear masks."
Buck said the Phillie Phanatic will have a dance area in Ashburn Alley — and is being trained to keep his social distance from fans.