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Pirates first baseman Josh Bell hits a double against the Blue Jays in March.
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Paul Zeise: Blue Jays in Pittsburgh would be a wonderful development

Matt Freed/Post-Gazette

Paul Zeise: Blue Jays in Pittsburgh would be a wonderful development

The Toronto Blue Jays playing home games at PNC Park while the Penguins play games in Toronto would scream 2020 as loud as any bizarre twist we have had this year.

The Blue Jays thing isn’t a done deal, but it sure sounds like they are working hard with Pirates officials on the logistics of it all to make it happen.

“In an effort to help in the return of the game we all love, we continue to have active discussions with Major League Baseball and the Toronto Blue Jays organization regarding the possibility of hosting home games for the Blue Jays at PNC Park this season,” Pirates President Travis Williams said in the statement Monday. “This will be a monumental challenge for our staff, but leaning in to help others is what Pittsburghers do best.

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“If we are able to safely accommodate, not only will it bring additional international attention to our city, it will also bring with it jobs and revenue for local hotels, restaurants and other businesses that will support the Blue Jays organization as well as additional visiting teams.”

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Pirates manager Derek Shelton added after the exhibition game with Cleveland on Monday, “If it’s a situation where they need a place to play, and we can help out, then I think we should. I do feel that major league teams should play in major league ballparks, and if it works out way above my pay grade that they figure it out, then I think it would be cool.”

I say, good for the Pirates. And if it works out, great for the city of Pittsburgh, PNC Park and everyone who will benefit from having another MLB team in town and the extra games that will be played. This wouldn’t be a boom to the local economy, but it would be a little bit of a boost, and we need every bit of help we can get.

No, there aren’t going to be fans in the stands, and so it won’t help the ticket takers and vendors and most of the game day staff. But the restaurant and bar industry is hurting, If we could bring a traveling party of 50 or 55 people into town for 40-45 extra nights, I’m sure that would translate into some extra revenue for a hotel. Visiting teams would have to come through as well, so you could almost double that depending on how the deal looks when it is final.

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As soon as my colleague Jason Mackey first reported Sunday that the Blue Jays were exploring the possibility of playing at PNC Park, the “Yeah, but...” crowd went to work. They gave their safety concerns, their way over the top theories about what this might mean for COVID-19 spread of the pandemic and how this will be impossible for the stadium staff to pull off and ensure safety.

We all understand how serious this virus is. We understand many people are getting really sick and even dying. We understand that we need to try to mitigate it as much as possible. But Major League Baseball also understands those things, and the league has done everything in its power to try to make the game safe and mitigate the risk. There’s no reason to think that won’t be done here.

We should be happy that our city is under consideration for this, and rooting for the Blue Jays to come to town.

Paul Zeise: pzeise@post-gazette.com and Twitter @PaulZeise

First Published: July 21, 2020, 5:25 p.m.

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