The Cincinnati Reds announced Friday that Great American Ball Park will return to full capacity on June 2.
It's the same day that Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine will end the state's coronavirus health orders. The Reds said in a statement that masks will be recommended, but not required for fans at games.
The Reds are scheduled to play a 12:35 p.m. game against the Philadelphia Phillies on June 2, the final home game of a three-game series. The Reds have a six-game homestand the following week.
“The Reds are grateful to Governor DeWine and all the state and local officials who collaborated to usher Ohio through this dangerous and difficult time,” Reds COO Phil Castellini said in a statement. “Our goal has always been to host as many fans as possible in a safe manner and we are excited to once again have every seat available for more fans to cheer on our Reds.”
The Reds, who increased to 40% capacity on April 30, have averaged 11,732 fans at their 17 home games, according to Baseball-Reference's figures. It's the ninth-highest average attendance in the league. Their largest crowd of the season was 17,077 against the Chicago Cubs on May 1.
The club will continue its $10 vaccination ticket offer for Monday-Thursday games through the end of the regular season.
There is no news yet on the Findlay Market Opening Day Parade. Kelly Lanser, director of communications for the market, said the parade association is still discussing the issue.
The Texas Rangers were the first MLB team to open their stadium to full capacity (Opening Day) and the Atlanta Braves followed on May 7.
"Yeah, that’s exciting," Reds manager David Bell said. "Good timing, too. That time of the year, summer is starting, school is getting out, the weather gets nice. Definitely happy for the fans, for more people to be able to come to the games, but from our standpoint, it’s a beautiful thing just having more people, more fans.
"It’s already been great this year. The support with just the limited capacity, it’s definitely exceeded anything I would imagined in having the limited amount of people there. We’re really looking forward to it."
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