Fans allowed at SWFL spring training games

It’s almost time for spring training, but the race to get tickets may be difficult because fewer will be available.

The Red Sox, Twins, Rays and Braves will be making their way to their Southwest Florida spring homes soon, and fans will be welcome – albeit at a smaller capacity.

“If there’s some way we as an industry can provide, you know, some kind of relaxation or respite from all this tension we’re all facing with COVID, I think it would be fantastic,” said Matt Hoy, senior vice president of operations for the Minnesota Twins.

There will be fewer tickets available, a maximum of about 2,400 for each Twins and Red Sox game – and season ticket holders will get first dibs, with any remaining seats going to the general public.

Major League Baseball told its teams to place fans in pods of two to four seats with the standard 6-foot distance between pods. Masks will be a must.

With such limited supply, the Twins won’t be offering season tickets, but existing season ticket holders will get the chance to score tickets before others.

When might tickets go on sale? Hoy said they’re waiting for word from MLB.

“We want to expose as many fans or give as many fans that opportunity to come out as we can. So we’re looking probably toward the end of next week or as maybe as far out as Monday the 15,” he said.

Red Sox season ticket holders will also have access before the general public. The team will set a limit on how many games they can attend; that’s expected to up to eight games. The remaining tickets will up for sale after that.

“At this point, we don’t have an exact timeline but, you know, within a few days of the games starting, we expect there will be some tickets available for the general public,” said Ron Bumgarner, the Red Sox’s executive vice president for ticketing.

The Red Sox will set tickets online only, so no more waiting in line. No word yet on when those tickets will be available.

Same thing for the Twins, except they’ll sell tickets at the box office.

The Braves said they’ll make their announcement in the coming days.

WINK News reached out to the Rays and has yet to hear back.