Because of a coronavirus curve that never flattened, fans won’t be allowed to attend Tampa Bay Rays home games. The team doesn’t want to stop fans from feeling like they’re there, however, so the Rays are offering followers a chance to be in the stands—in cardboard cutout form.
According to a statement from Rays Vice President of Marketing and Creative Services Eric Weisberg, the cutouts will be 18 inches wide and 30 inches tall; they’ll cost $40 for season ticket members and $60 for everyone else. And they’ll be placed in seats in waves as photos are uploaded.
Fans won’t be able to pick their seat, but they will be able to take the cutouts home at the end of the season (you know, when the Rays win the World Series).
No selfies are allowed, and more information is available at mlb.com/rays/fans/cut-out. The home opener is on July 24 against the Toronto Blue Jays.
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This article appears in Jul 16-22, 2020.