Since before the 2020 Major League Baseball season began, the Red Sox had been hopeful that, at some point, they would be allowed to have a limited number of fans at Fenway Park later in the year.
Team president and CEO Sam Kennedy remained optimistic over that possibility as recently as a few weeks ago, announcing that the club had petitioned MLB for the right to allow some fans into the ballpark.
But on Tuesday, that dream died when, according to a source, the team was informed by the state of Massachusetts that no fans would be allowed at least through the end of September. The regular season is set to conclude Sunday, Sept. 27.
Technically, there remains an outside chance the state might reconsider fans in October. But given the team's dreadful start -- they own the worst record in the American League and enter Tuesday's action 10.5 games out first in the American League division and six full games out of the second wild-card spot in the American League with just 37 games remaining -- that would seem a near impossibility.
The team confirmed the news with a statement from Kennedy:
"Since the start of the Pandemic we have been in constant communication with Gov. Baker, Lt Gov. Polito, Mayor Walsh and Major League Baseball regarding safety protocols at Fenway Park. We have been informed by Lt. Gov. Polito that the State is not yet in a position to allow fans to return to Fenway, at least through the month of September. While we were hopeful fans would be able to return to Fenway at some point this season, we agree that now is not the right time, given the state of the virus around the country. We remain grateful to our local officials for their leadership and guidance, and appreciate the ongoing support of our fans throughout this difficult period."
The news comes a day after Major League Baseball announced it, too, would not green-light any effort to allow fans into ballparks:
"Given the state of the virus throughout the country and that most of our clubs do not have authorization from their local jurisdictions allowing for it, we are not able to consider hosting fans at this time.”
Similarly, the Patriots released the following statement, confirming that they, too, will not play in front of fans in Foxboro through at least the end of September.
"Following consultation with the Massachusetts Reopening Advisory Board, Gillette Stadium officials learned today that we will not be permitted to host fans at any events through at least the end of September. As a result, the Patriots home opener on September 13 and the game on September 27, as well as the next three Revolution home matches on August 20, 29 and September 2, will be played without fans in attendance. We will communicate directly with our respective ticket holders regarding refunds.
"Gillette Stadium fully supports the state’s position and this decision in the interest of public safety. We would have welcomed the opportunity to host fans in August and September, but are hopeful to do so later in the season. We greatly appreciate the time and support the Massachusetts Reopening Advisory Board has provided throughout this process and respect their efforts as they continue to navigate the state’s phased reopening.
"Since the onset of the pandemic, Gillette Stadium officials have worked closely with the reopening board, a host of state and local officials, the National Football League, Major League Soccer and the Massachusetts’ Large Venue Task Force, as well as a team of independent experts that span many disciplines, including infectious disease, emergency medicine, architectural design and planning, crowd flow dynamics, cleaning and disinfecting, ventilation, air conditioning and food safety. With their expertise, we developed a detailed plan and are confident in our ability to provide a safe and comfortable environment for fans, thanks to Gillette Stadium’s ample space as an outdoor venue and the infrastructure that allows us to meet or exceed all CDC guidelines.
"Gillette Stadium will continue its preparations to safely host fans later this fall and will rely on guidance from the Massachusetts Reopening Advisory Board and our team of independent experts. The health and safety of our players, coaches, staff, fans and surrounding community has and will continue to lead our efforts.''
More to come.
