MLB teams offer ticket refunds and credit for games not played
Rays plan furloughs of some staff
WASHINGTON, April 30, (AP): The St. Louis Cardinals and Boston Red Sox announced ticket refund policies on Wednesday for games not played through May because of the virus outbreak, with some Major League Baseball teams offering plans for cash returns and bonus credit.
A day after MLB told clubs they could decide their own ticket refund policies, several did.
The Minnesota Twins will credit season ticket holders for missed games, plus give an additional 15% credit of that amount to be used for 2020 or 2021 purchases.
The Cleveland Indians said fans who had tickets for home games this March and April could receive a 10% bonus credit for a game later in 2020 or 2021. The Red Sox extended a similar bonus credit to season ticket holders.
“As we continue to evaluate possibilities for the 2020 season, it’s important that we provide options to our ticket buyers for games scheduled in
April and May,” Red Sox President Sam Kennedy said in a statement.
“We appreciate how patient our fans have been as we worked through the implications of the pandemic on our schedule,” he said.
The San Francisco Giants and San Diego Padres also announced refund policies.
Spring training was suspended on March 12 and the regular season was delayed from its scheduled March 26 start because of the new coronavirus pandemic.
A revised schedule has not been announced, with MLB exploring many options to play this year if it’s deemed safe by health experts and government leaders.
Two fans sued MLB, the 30 teams and ticket companies last week in federal court in Los Angeles, seeking refunds. The suit asks for class-action status.
Meanwhile, the Tampa Bay Rays are the first Major League Baseball team known to plan furloughs of some full-time employees because of the coronavirus pandemic, a person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press.
Temporary cost-cutting measures will take effect on Saturday, the person said.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity Wednesday because the decision, first reported by the Tampa Bay Times - had not been announced. The Rays declined to comment.
Staff was informed of the plan by principal owners Stuart Sternberg and team presidents Matt Silverman and Brian Auld earlier this week.
The Times reported the furloughs are believed to involve less than half the club’s 400-to-500 full-time employees.
Some members of the baseball operations department are to receive pay cuts starting at 10%.
Most of the 30 clubs have committed to paying either all full-time baseball operations staff or all full-time employees through May.
The big league season was scheduled to begin March 26. MLB shut down spring training on March 12 and pushed opening day back until at least mid-May because of the pandemic.