A groundskeeper mows grass in the Cincinnati Reds training complex in Goodyear. Fans will not be allowed in to watch players work out this year.
[Kelly O’Sullivan/Independent Newsmedia]
(Disclosure: Rose Law Group represents HealthyVerify Certification.)
By Kelly O’Sullivan | Your Valley
What a difference a year and a pandemic make.
In February 2020, Cincinnati Reds and Cleveland Indians fans who descend on the Southwest Valley for spring training in Goodyear were looking forward to a new, high-tech scoreboard, special events days and new eats at Goodyear Ballpark.
Everything was looking good for Major League Baseball, the Cactus League, players, fans and the local communities that cater to visitors until the COVID-19 pandemic abruptly shuttered ballparks and team training facilities across the Valley in mid-March.
The staff at Goodyear Ballpark has spent the past year developing strategies to ensure the safety of those who attend baseball games and other events in the age of COVID-19. They worked with a team of experts from HealthyVerify, an organization that reviews safety plans and disinfection protocols to certify that a venue follows best practices for minimizing the transmission of infectious diseases on their premises, achieving certification last June.
“They have approved our measures to disinfect the ballpark, so rest assured, we are following strict procedures to keep all of our employees and visitors safe,” ballpark officials announced in a statement on goodyearbp.com June 12, 2020.
