The 2020 Major League Baseball is set to finally get underway next month and at this point won't happen with fans in attendance at games due to the coronavirus pandemic. The San Francisco Giants plan to combat the lack of fans with an interesting tactic.
According to an ESPN report, the Giants sent a letter to their season-ticket holders on Thursday explaining that their games at Oracle Park will be played out fans. The franchise then asked the season ticket holders to send in images of themselves that will be placed on cardboard cutouts in front of their usual seats in the stands.
The team is calling it the "Giants Fan Cutout Program," and its a chance for the fans to "be at Oracle Park even when you're home watching the game." In addition, the letter states that "the continued health risks related to the pandemic" are the reason for the lack of fans during this shortened season. The cutouts will be made of "weatherproof material" in case it rains while the team is playing.
Giants fans that aren't season ticket holders can also have cutouts of themselves in the stands for a $99 fee.
It's certainly going to be interesting to see if other teams elect to go in a similar route, assuming no fans are allowed to attend games throughout the season. Teams can only allow fans in with the approval of MLB and local authorities. With the number of COVID-19 cases currently on the rise in multiple states, it's hard to imagine many cities giving such approval right now.
The MLB season is slated to get underway on July 23 or 24.
