SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- When two young boys walked over to the rope during batting practice on Thursday morning holding baseballs, a Giants player did what he has always done walking over and catching the baseballs and a pen before providing his autograph. A day later, team doctors told players to be a bit more careful.
The Giants held a team meeting Friday morning to discuss precautions they can take as coronavirus spreads and the way the organization is reacting to concerns.
Team president and CEO Larry Baer said the organization does not currently know how games might be impacted when the season starts in three weeks, and the Giants have been in touch with multiple local agencies. Late last month, mayor London Breed declared a state of emergency in San Francisco. Some international leagues have begun playing games without fans in attendance.
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"We just have to see how everything evolves," Baer said. "Safety is the number one priority, the safety of our fans and our employees. We're monitoring closely whether to take additional measures. It's day-to-day."
Thus far, the Giants have stayed consistent with general recommendations. A member of the clubhouse staff was sent out to get 10 hand sanitizer dispensers that were attached to walls in the new spring training facility and have been used regularly by players and coaches. A few days later, he went back out and bought five more. Players and staff members have been told to wash their hands more often.
Trainer Dave Groeschner was on a conference call with MLB on Thursday and team doctors have regularly been on calls with MLB's medical panel. Baer said the organization has been included in briefings from the city's department of public health and the office of emergency services, and the Giants also have talked to the CDC.
The Giants are double-cleaning their facility in Scottsdale and plan to do the same when players return to Oracle Park. They have already increased the cleaning they're doing at their home park because team employees work there every day and fans regularly come through for tours.
San Francisco Giants
There has been limited concern voiced from fans who have tickets for early games, but this is a crisis that gets more intense by the day, and Baer has regularly been in contact with organizations in the Bay Area that are currently hosting games and thousands of fans at a time. He spoke to Warriors president and COO Rick Welts this week.
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The Sharks and Warriors played Thursday, with the latter reporting limited no-shows in Steph Curry's return. Both teams host games this weekend, along with the San Jose Earthquakes.
The Sharks announced Thursday that they were aware of the recommendations from the Santa Clara County Public Health Department that large gatherings be canceled and that they would actively monitor the situation. They encouraged fans to wash their hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds and avoid touching their eyes, nose and mouth.
The Giants made similar recommendations to their players, and they are asking them to change the way they interact with fans for the time being. No sport includes more autograph-signing than baseball, and the Giants plan to make some adjustments. They have a reception at Scottsdale Stadium later Friday, and instead of signing autographs in person, players will sign baseballs beforehand and those will be handed out.