State won't allow Jays to play at Pirates' park
Source: AP, via Lockport, NY, Journal
State won't allow Jays to play at Pirates' park
MLB: Team still focused on finding big league home for 2020.
By ROB GILLIES, MARC LEVY and WILL GRAVES The Associated Press 8 hrs ago
TORONTO The state of Pennsylvania wont allow the Toronto Blue Jays to play at PNC Park in Pittsburgh amid the coronavirus pandemic, health officials announced Wednesday, becoming the latest jurisdiction to say no to the team as the baseball season begins this week.
Canada already had denied the Blue Jays request to play in Toronto because the regular-season schedule would require frequent travel back and forth from the United States, where COVID-19 cases are surging.
The Blue Jays and Pirates had been waiting to see if they got permission from Pennsylvania officials to proceed with the plan to have PNC Park fill in for the Rogers Centre.
In recent weeks, we have seen a significant increase in the number of COVID-19 cases in southwestern Pennsylvania, Dr. Rachel Levine, the states secretary of health, said in a statement. To add travelers to this region for any reason, including for professional sports events, risks residents, visitors and members of both teams. We know that this virus does not discriminate, and can even make professional athletes very sick. We are committed to protecting the health and well-being of all Pennsylvanians.
Canada has flattened the epidemic curve. But the number of new confirmed cases of the coronavirus reported daily by Allegheny County which includes Pittsburgh and 1.2 million residents has increased tenfold in the last two weeks, compared with the two weeks in June before what officials there called an alarming spike in cases.
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Read more: https://www.lockportjournal.com/sports/national_sports/state-wont-allow-jays-to-play-at-pirates-park/article_3c6e7459-683a-5b39-b1e8-a7295d81a086.html
brooklynite
(95,006 posts)not_the_one
(2,227 posts)Marcuse
(7,561 posts)Response to mahatmakanejeeves (Original post)
Post removed
BumRushDaShow
(130,043 posts)of COVID-19 cases (and also in the surrounding counties) - and has been reporting more than here in Philly (where we have 5 times the population of the city of Pittsburgh and about 300,000 more residents than the entirety of Allegheny County).
Am guessing some repukes were trying to work that deal.
CanonRay
(14,146 posts)Like the Phillies and Mets etc? What's the difference? This one makes no sense to me, if you're going to have games there anyway.
brooklynite
(95,006 posts)CanonRay
(14,146 posts)So there should be no additional risk for Pittsburgh. I guess I'm not seeing something
brooklynite
(95,006 posts)It adds up.
rurallib
(62,483 posts)Baclava
(12,047 posts)Same for the NFL too, your starting QB gets quarantined for 2 weeks for a positive test? Disaster
Jimbo S
(2,961 posts)That's way each team has a pool of 60 players to fill the 30-man roster. If a player tests positive, then he is placed on the COVID list another fills in.
Tommy_Carcetti
(43,232 posts)There aren't going to be any fans to watch them.
They could literally play anywhere that has the proper dimensions, lighting and locker facilities. That's literally all they need right now.
Beyond the stadiums for the 29 other major league teams, there are hundreds of minor league and college facilities they could also use. And those are currently unoccupied at the moment.
So why not just use one of them? Why insist on using the park of another major league team?
George II
(67,782 posts)Yeehah
(4,603 posts)Maybe for the TV infrastructure.
Jimbo S
(2,961 posts)I believe lighting is a concern. Minor league parks don't meet MLB standards.
Dressing rooms as well. Adequate for social distancing?
DeminPennswoods
(15,299 posts)They're doing actual contact tracing so the county exec and county health dept expected a couple of weeks of high cases. Positive test percent is also now around 6%.
I don't really think having Tor play at PNC is that risky. The teams will fly in/out on charters and be housed in one place. There won't be fans either. I think this was more of a "safe than sorry" denial rather than based on any real facts.
AFAIK, Buffalo, which is Toronto's AAA affiliate, is the back up plan if they can't find an MLB stadium to host them.
Steelrolled
(2,022 posts)Pittsburgh has enough dealing with its own sports teams.
Initech
(100,149 posts)Jimbo S
(2,961 posts)Football/Soccer stadiums too rectangular.
Throckmorton
(3,579 posts)To play at a minor league park in Hartford. Visiting teams will isolate in a hotel in Windsor Locks, and fly charter from their home parks.
What's not to love, play ball at Dunkin Donuts stadium, home of the Yard Goats.