ValleyCats plan for vaccinated fan sections at home games

TROY — The Tri-City ValleyCats are planning to have vaccinated sections where social-distancing is not required when the minor-league baseball team begins its home schedule on June 4 at Joseph L. Bruno Stadium, general manager Matt Callahan said.

The ValleyCats are making the adjustment after Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo announced last week that fully vaccinated attendees at large-scale outdoor events may be seated at full capacity in assigned sections designated solely for fully vaccinated individuals.

“We’ll still have sections that are socially distanced and available for folks that are not vaccinated,” Callahan said. “We are looking to see if there’s ways to increase capacity with some vaccinated sections. We don’t have to abide by social distancing in those areas.”

The new rule applies to outdoor sports, performing arts and live entertainment and horse racing and auto racing venues statewide.

The ValleyCats have put individual game tickets on sale through June only. They’re waiting on July, August and September to account for possible changes in capacity limits due to COVID-19.

“We would expect we’ll have a small increase in capacity for some of our June games,” Callahan said. “I would think we’ll have a little bit different seating chart when we move toward July. Our goal is to try to increase capacity within the guidelines and give more people the opportunity to come out and enjoy a game.”

Before Cuomo’s order, the ValleyCats expected to be able to seat 2,000 fans, or 33 percent of Bruno Stadium’s capacity, which includes fixed seating, picnic areas and the berm areas. Callahan said the change could increase that to up to 3,000 fans.

Callahan said the ValleyCats will have health screening when fans enter Bruno Stadium. Fans who present a vaccine card or the state’s Excelsior Pass to prove full vaccination can sit in the vaccinated sections.

“For instance, if you have a group or organization that wants to come out with 20 people and they’re all vaccinated, they can all sit together in one group in continuous seats,” Callahan said.

Children under 16 who aren’t vaccinated may accompany and be seated with a vaccinated adult in a fully vaccinated section, according to the new guidelines.

“We’re going to make it work for everybody, but we have to juggle the seating chart and ask some of those questions so we can seat people appropriately,” Callahan said.

It’s a welcome change for the ValleyCats, trying to draw as many fans as possible after having last season canceled by the pandemic.

The ValleyCats, in their first season in the independent Frontier League, open spring training on Thursday. They’ll begin the season at Sussex County (N.J.) on May 27. Tri-City plays its home opener against the New Jersey Jackals on June 4 to start a six-game homestand. The ValleyCats are scheduled to play 48 home games.