Pirates President open to sharing PNC Park with Blue Jays
The Pittsburgh Pirates may end up sharing PNC Park during the 2020 season.
The Toronto Blue Jays need a new home in 2020 after a ruling came down in Canada preventing the team from playing games at home this season. Limiting travel in and out of the country makes sense when comparing COVID-19 numbers between Canada and the United States.
A few initial cities were floated around such as Buffalo and surprisingly, Pittsburgh. This idea may have surprised both Blue Jays and Pirates fans alike when it was first announced. Yet Pirates President Travis Williams seems to be excited about the idea.
Statement from #Pirates President Travis Williams says active discussions with #BlueJays and MLB are taking place and that sharing PNC Park would "be a monumental challenge for our staff, but leaning in to help others is what Pittsburghers do best." pic.twitter.com/ktTx9yNzFE
— Shi Davidi (@ShiDavidi) July 20, 2020
The Pirates and Blue Jays could be sharing a home
Williams does bring up the good point about an economic boost from having another team in town. That would mean double the games and double the revenue for local businesses at one of the worst economic times in the nation’s history.
The key with this plan is ensuring PNC Park will be safe and sanitized for both teams and also the road teams showing up. Having an extra organization in town breaks the initial quarantine set at the ballpark and that must be the first thing the Pirates have in mind.
From a strictly baseball standpoint this is an exciting idea. Having two teams share one stadium is not something fans are used to seeing. The same goes for fans in Canada learning more about the Pirates and the city in general, as Williams points out in his statement.
Next. No MLB games in Canada amid pandemic. dark
The 2020 MLB season is already going to feel weird. Getting the Blue Jays in PNC Park only adds to the bizarre year and appears to be the perfect move for the franchise if everyone’s safety can be ensured.