Salt Lake Bees Turning On Smith’s Ballpark Lights In Honor Of Originally Scheduled Opening Day

Apr 9, 2020, 12:18 PM | Updated: 10:49 pm

KSL Sports

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – The Salt Lake Bees plan to turn on the lights at Smith’s Ballpark in honor of what would have been Opening Day for Utah’s Minor League Baseball club.

The lights at Smith’s Ballpark will be turned on at 8 p.m. (MDT) on Thursday, April 9.

Prior to the postponement of games due to the coronavirus pandemic, Salt Lake was scheduled to host the El Paso Chihuahuas for its season-opening game.

MiLB Season Postponed

“Because tonight was scheduled to be Opening Night we decided to turn the Smith’s Ballpark lights on for a few hours as a sign of support for the community and to shine a light on our incredible doctors, nurses, health care professionals, and caregivers,” the Bees told KSLSports.com. “We hope everyone is staying safe at home and we look forward to welcoming everyone back to the ballpark and turning the lights on for some baseball soon!”

Thursday should be Opening Day…. but it's not 🙁

Wear your Bees gear tomorrow from home and grill up a hot dog for #MiLBAtHomeOpener. We'll get through this together and be back at Smith's Ballpark soon! pic.twitter.com/mogmfhTNOm

— Salt Lake Bees (@SaltLakeBees) April 9, 2020

“While I’m as excited for the start of baseball season as many of you are, this year, things are different. A global pandemic has brought the sports world to a screeching halt, and many of us face challenges we never dreamed of before now,” MiLB president and CEO Pat O’Conner said in a statement. “Baseball will be back as soon as it’s safe for us to gather again. And when it does return, it will be that much more special to all of us who have missed it dearly. While we wait for baseball’s return, we all need to do our part to ensure the safety of our families, friends and neighbors. Please continue to follow the direction and advice of public health experts and agencies and adhere to the federal guidelines that have been established as we collectively battle the coronavirus. We all need to do our part.”

To: Our fans

From: President & CEO Pat O'Conner

📝 #MiLBAtHomeOpener pic.twitter.com/gehhJ7fGCI

— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) April 9, 2020

The MiLB postponed the start of its 2020 season on Thursday, March 12.

“In light of the current coronavirus outbreak, and after consultation with medical professionals and our partners at Major League Baseball, Minor League Baseball will delay the start of the 2020 Championship Season,” the league said in a statement in early March. “We will continue to monitor the developments and will announce additional information about the 2020 season at a later date. We will work with Major League Baseball and our community partners to resume play as soon as it is safe to do so. The health and safety of Minor League Baseball fans, players and executives is our top priority, and our thoughts are with those around the world who have been affected by this outbreak.”

The start of the @SaltLakeBees season has officially been delayed along with the rest of @MiLB. @KSLSports https://t.co/Rm4GT6CZSx

— Sam Farnsworth (@SFarnsworthKSL) March 12, 2020

Salt Lake has been Utah’s Triple-A MiLB club since 1994. Prior to the nickname Bees, the club was known as the Buzz from 1994-2000 and Stingers from 2001-2005. Smith’s Ballpark has been home to the club since its first season in Salt Lake City.

Video of lights at Smith’s Ballpark will be featured on KSL 5 News at 10 with coverage from Chopper 5.

Coronavirus Resources

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Your Life Your Health: How can parents prepare their home, children against coronavirus?

How Do I Prevent It?

The CDC has some simple recommendations, most of which are the same for preventing other respiratory illnesses or the flu:

Avoid close contact with people who may be sick
Avoid touching your face
Stay home when you are sick
Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue and then throw the tissue in the trash
Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom, before eating, and after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing. Always wash your hands with soap and water if your hands are visibly dirty.
If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.

The CDC recommends wearing cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain (e.g., grocery stores and pharmacies), especially in areas of significant community-based transmission.

How To Get Help

If you’re worried you may have COVID-19, you can contact the Utah Coronavirus Information Line at 1-800-456-7707 to speak to trained healthcare professionals. You can also use telehealth services through your healthcare providers.

Additional Resources

If you see evidence of PRICE GOUGING, the Utah Attorney General’s Office wants you to report it. Common items in question include toilet paper, water, hand sanitizer, certain household cleaners, and even cold medicine and baby formula. Authorities are asking anyone who sees price gouging to report it to the Utah Division of Consumer Protection at 801-530-6601 or 800-721-7233. The division can also be reached by email at [email protected].