MLB commissioner Robert Manfred and the rest of the league are working around the clock to have fans in attendance for the National League Championship Series and the World Series in Texas.
Manfred talked to USA Today to reveal the exclusive, claiming theyâre waiting for state clearance to have fans at Global Life Park for the most important games of the shortened season.
âWe are pressing ahead to have fans in Texas. One of the most important things to our game is the presence of fans. Starting down the path of having fans in stadiums, and in a safe and risk-free environment, is very, very important to our game,â Manfred said.
Robert Manfred: âI Never Worked Harderâ
Manfred has drawn a lot of criticism this season for all the adjustments the league has been forced to make in the fly. Now, heâs glad to say that ticket sales for the NLCS will be announced pretty soon:
âItâs been grueling for everyone, the constant feeling of risk, the grinding, everything so different than the way we normally do things. The best way to say it is that 2020 presented some really, really difficult challenges for the sport, and I never worked harder to try to meet those challenges. I do take pride that weâre just a few days away from finishing the (regular)season, an important milestone for the industry, âhe added.
MLB teams felt like the bubble format didnât reward winning teams because there was no true homecourt advantage with no fans in the ballparks. Now, theyâll have a real-life crowd noise and things will feel a little bit more normal.
Moreover, this will be aunique postseason with the expanded playoff pool, a format that Manfred hopes to keep on the future, as per his interview. Needless to say, people will have a lot to say about that.
