At LECOM Park, fans understand MLB’s decision to postpone season due to coronavirus
Baseball fans soaked up the sun and the last few pitches of the foreseeable future at LECOM Park Thursday afternoon.
Major League Baseball confirmed that it is canceling the remainder of the spring training season and also plans to delay Opening Day by at least two weeks. Fans in Bradenton were disappointed to hear the news, but felt it was the right call.
In a statement released Thursday afternoon, the Pittsburgh Pirates also said they supported the decision.
“As this situation evolves, so too will our response,” Pirates Chairman Bob Nutting said in a prepared statement. “What will not change, however, is how much we care about our fans, players and employees and the wellbeing of our community.”
“It’s the right thing to do. You’ve got to make sure everyone’s safe, and especially make sure to take care of those with at-risk immune systems,” said Mike Sherwin, who was visiting from Pittsburgh with his wife Becky, and their two kids, 9-year-old Andrew and 7-year-old Kate.
Andrew watched from the upper deck, wearing a baseball glove, baseball cap and a Andrew McCutchen Pirates jersey while supporting his hometown team.
“I’ve liked him ever since I knew who he was,” Andrew said.
The Sherwins also purchased tickets for Friday’s baseball game against the Minnesota Twins, and were sad to hear the game has been canceled.
“It won’t shorten our trip. We’ll still be here in Bradenton, just not watching baseball,” Mike told the Bradenton Herald.
After losing to the Toronto Blue Jays 7-5 on Thursday, the Pirates finish the spring training season with a 3-15 record. Still, some fans were hoping to catch some more action out on the diamond.
“We’re disappointed because we have tickets to Tuesday’s game. Everybody here seems to be having a good time, but it seems like there’s a big fear factor out there. We understand they’re just going along with what the other leagues are doing. It is what it is, and life goes on,” said Terry Goldstein from Altoona, Penn., who attended the game with his wife Molly.
The team says it will continue to communicate with medical experts, along with MLB and government officials to monitor the situation.
“Together we will work through this unprecedented situation as we look forward to the return of baseball as soon as possible,” Nutting said in a statement.
How do I get a refund for canceled Pittsburgh Pirates spring training games?
The Pirates announced the steps required for fans with purchased tickets to receive refunds or credit on Friday.
Fans with single-game tickets that were purchased on Pirates.com, by phone, or in person will receive an automatic refund, if they paid with a credit card. Anyone who purchased tickets with cash will need to send their original tickets, as well as their name, address and telephone number to the LECOM Park ticket office by May 1, 2020.
Group tickets will be refunded to the account holder on record. Those with spring training season tickets, however, have the option of a refund or a credit toward the 2021 spring training season. According to a release, the Pirates have already begun contacting season ticket holders.
Spring training tickets purchased from a secondary market reseller cannot be refunded by the Pirates.
For more information on ticket refunds, visit MLB.com/pirates or call 1-877-893-2827.
This story was originally published March 12, 2020 at 5:00 PM with the headline "At LECOM Park, fans understand MLB’s decision to postpone season due to coronavirus."
