The Pirates will be allowing partial crowds into LECOM Park for their spring training games, which are scheduled to start later this month.
The team is planning for approximately 25% capacity throughout the ballpark, with each transaction requiring either two or four tickets to be purchased. LECOM Park has a capacity of 8,500, so that will be a crowd of approximately 2,000.
At the moment, the Pirates’ first spring training game is scheduled for Feb. 28 against the Braves, the first of 17 home games for the club this spring.
However, the league proposed to the players association this weekend to push the start of the season back a month. The union is expected to reject that offer, but could counter it. If a deal isn’t reached, the season will proceed as currently scheduled.
The first wave of tickets will be part of a special presale for spring training season ticket holders. That will be from Feb. 3 to Feb. 7. Any remaining inventory for individual game tickets will go on sale Feb. 15.
Face coverings will be mandatory in the park at all times.
Per a team source, the Pirates have not made a decision yet for fans at PNC Park this regular season. Any decision would also have to meet Allegheny County's guidelines.
Talking to team president Travis Williiams earlier this offseason, the team is hopeful that they could do it safely, like the Steelers did for part of their season.
“I think it’s a great indicator that if done appropriately, like the Steelers have done, it shows that a sports social environment, wearing masks, being socially distant and following other guidelines, that you can pull it off,” Williams told me on Nov. 23. “We are certainly very hopeful that holds true through the beginning of our season. That we’re able to host fans in the same manner, and progress to more and more crowds as things continue to improve in terms of the pandemic.”