The Minnesota Twins Major League Baseball team has agreed a deal for 3M to become its official science partner as it prepares for the potential return of fans during the upcoming season.
Over the first few months of the partnership, 3M will work with the Twins and the team’s ballpark operations to supply cleaning, disinfecting, hygiene and physical distancing solutions at Target Field.
Twins officials and 3M experts have begun working on items ranging from ballpark ingress and egress to protocols and materials for cleaning, disinfecting and sanitisation. The Twins have not detailed how many fans they hope to have at Target Field, with full health and safety protocols for the new season to be detailed at the appropriate time.
Twins president and chief executive Dave St. Peter said: “As we continue working with Governor Tim Walz, public health officials and Major League Baseball toward safely welcoming fans back to Target Field in 2021, we are ecstatic to have the people and science of 3M to help guide us on our path.
“The health and safety of our fans, partners, players, staff, employees and communities is driving the process, and we are grateful to 3M for bringing their product solutions to Twins Territory.”
Denise Rutherford, senior vice-president of corporate affairs at 3M, added: “3M is using our world-leading science to help businesses return to work as economies reopen. We look forward to teaming up with the Minnesota Twins as they bring fans and staff back to the ballpark safely.”
No fans were allowed during the 2020 MLB regular season, although a limited number of spectators were permitted for post-season games at Globe Life Field, the new home of the Texas Rangers.
The 2021 MLB season gets underway on April 1. The Twins’ first home game will be against the Seattle Mariners on April 8.
Earlier this week, the Miami Marlins detailed plans to open Marlins Park at around 25% capacity when the 2021 season gets underway, meaning that around 9,300 fans will be able to attend games.
Image: Terry Foote at English Wikipedia/CC BY-SA 4.0/Edited for size
