LOS ANGELES — The era of cardboard cutouts is over. The ballpark gates will open to actual humans this season.
Fans will be allowed to attend Major League Baseball games in California, the state's department of public health announced Friday.
That does not mean that the Dodgers can welcome thousands of fans for their April 9 home opener — not yet, anyway.
Based on the new guidelines and current coronavirus statistics, the San Francisco Giants would be the only one of the state's five teams permitted to start the season in front of more than 100 fans — or, for that matter, sell hot dogs and beer.
Under the state's color-coded tier system, teams that play in counties in the purple tier can admit no more than 100 fans, cannot sell concessions, and cannot admit fans that live outside the region. Los Angeles County is in the purple tier, indicating the virus is widespread.
Teams in the counties in the red tier can play to 20% of capacity and can sell concessions. The Giants are the only one of the state's five MLB teams that fall under that guideline.
However, Los Angeles County and Orange County already have satisfied two of the three criteria to enter the red tier, and officials in each county are hopeful of reaching the red tier this month.
If that happens, the Angels could play to 20% capacity — about 9,000 fans — for their April 1 opener against the Chicago White Sox. The Dodgers could sell 11,200 tickets for their April 9 home opener against the Washington Nationals.
Once a county reaches the orange tier, indicating moderate spread of the virus, teams can play to one-third of capacity. In the yellow tier, indicating minimal spread of the virus, teams can play to two-thirds of capacity.
In the red, orange and yellow tiers, teams cannot sell tickets to out-of-state residents.
"On behalf of the Dodger organization and its fans, we want to express our sincere appreciation and gratitude to Governor Newsom, his staff and the many others who have worked tirelessly on these revised guidelines which provide a blueprint for California outdoor sports venues to re-open to fans," Dodgers president Stan Kasten said in a statement. "Like the Governor, we're optimistic that California will continue to make progress in the fight against COVID-19 and that we can safely host fans to start the season. Safety is paramount, and the Dodgers continue to work with local officials and Major League Baseball to finalize protocols to protect players, fans and staff."
The Dodgers said they hope to announce health and safety protocols for fans as well as a ticket policy for reduced capacity soon.
The new guidelines take effect April 1, meaning no fans would be admitted to the Freeway Series exhibition games between the Dodgers and Angels March 28-30.
"With case rates and hospitalizations significantly lower, the arrival of three highly effective vaccines and targeted efforts aimed at vaccinating the most vulnerable communities, California can begin gradually and safely bringing back more activities, especially those that occur outdoors and where consistent masking is possible," Dr. Mark Ghaly, secretary of the California Health and Human Services Agency, said in a statement. "Even with these changes, California retains some of the most robust public health protocols in the country."
Until Friday, the state had precluded teams from selling any tickets until their home county reached the orange tier. State officials said the severe capacity restrictions would serve as a precaution, keeping as many people as possible as far apart as possible while the virus is still considered widespread.
The Dodgers' out-of-state National League West rivals will welcome larger crowds at the start of the season. The Colorado Rockies have been approved to sell 12,500 tickets per game to start the season. The Arizona Diamondbacks have not finalized a plan, but the state's governor Friday rescinded "capacity limits for businesses" and said fans would be welcome at sporting events so long as local public health authorities approve health and safety plans.
