Governor's Plan to Open California Has Fan-less MLB Games Months Away

California Gov. Gavin Newsom's four-phase plan has room for the Athletics to get back on the field in Oakland later this summer. But it will be quite a while yet before fans will be in the stands.

On the same day that news leaded that Major League Baseball has hopes to be able to play games in Major League stadiums, California Gov. Gavin Newsom released a plan that would determine when the state’s five Major League stadiums could be opened.

Newsom outlined the four-phased reopening of the state as whole, including sports, in this age of COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. As of Tuesday evening, more than 45,000 Californians had been infected by the coronavirus and more than 1,800 Californians had died from the virus.

The stages:

--Building-up testing, tracing, PPE and hospital capacity

--Opening up low-risk work environments such as retail and manufacturing businesses

--Opening high-risk workplaces such as gyms and salons

--Lifting isolation altogether if the appropriate treatments are available which will allow sports to return with fan attendance.

Stadiums opening with fans in attendance is part of phase four. The state is currently in phase one.

Stadiums opening with no fans allowed is part of phase three. So it’s possible teams like the Oakland A’s and San Francisco Giants could play in empty stadiums as part of phase three. Even so, Newsom said phase three is “months, not weeks, away.”

Follow Athletics insider John Hickey on Twitter: @JHickey3

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