PEORIA, Ariz. _ Wednesday here started like a March day in Seattle. With rainstorms carrying into the morning and expected to continue over the next few days, the Mariners decided early to scuttle their on-field workouts for the day.
But any disappointment for fans hoping to watch those canceled activities paled in comparison to what came later that morning, when Washington Gov. Jay Inslee announced what had been reported late Tuesday evening _ a restriction on a social gatherings of more than 250 people. That ban included all sporting events.
For the Mariners, it meant their opening homestand of the 2020 season, which was scheduled to start on Major League Baseball's Opening Day on March 26 and conclude on April 1, featuring a four-game series with the Texas Rangers followed by a three-game series with the Minnesota Twins, was now in serious doubt.
Inslee's decision did not catch the Mariners by a surprise. The organization had prepared for this as a logical step in the city and state's fight against the pandemic.
The organization immediately released this statement following Inslee's news conference:
