The Macon Bacon are back: What COVID-19 precautions have they taken?

The hot weather isn’t the only thing sizzling in Macon this week.

The Macon Bacon are set to begin their new season today on the road before their home opener on Thursday in front of their fans with new skits, new COVID-19 precautions in place and a new pig to help keep the crowd entertained.

Team President Brandon Raphael is happy baseball is back for fans to enjoy, even amid the COVID-19 pandemic. He hopes the Bacon can offer people a safe, fun getaway after being stuck inside for the last few months.

“We are really excited to be able to play this season. There are only a handful of teams in the Coastal Plain League even having a season,” Raphael said. “If we going to do it, we are going to do it right. If we can’t do it safely then we don’t want to do it. We don’t want to put anyone in harms way.”

COVID-19 precautions

The Bacon will institute social distancing guidelines throughout the park, including at concession stands. The capacity for a typical game is around 3,300, but this season only around 1,300 fans will be allowed in.

Families will be able to sit together but the next closest occupied sit after that will be six feet away; about three seats. The Bacon will also leave every other row empty. Assigned seats will space fans out around the ballpark.

Markers at concession stands will remind fans to stand six feet away from the person in front of them. Bacon event staff will encourage fans to follow these guidelines. Hand sanitizing stations will also be set up throughout the park. The All-You-Can-Eat packages will still be available, but will not be buffet style; instead, event staff will pass the food out to in order to cut down on contact.

Raphael’s goal is to make sure fans, the team and the staff are all as safe as possible.

“As things change and as things adjust we will too,” he said. “We’ve all been quarantined and cooped up. Here is a chance to come out, enjoy a little baseball and do it safely.”

Ticket availability

Aside from the new restrictions and guidelines, a lot of things will be business as usual. Fans are encouraged to check out the various ticket packages online in order to catch a game.

Many of the weekend games have already sold out.

Tickets will be digital this season to reduce contact, this includes tickets bought at the gate on game day.

But with tickets selling quickly and the capacity being limited, Raphael recommends that fan go ahead and buy now to ensure that they get to see the Bacon in action.

“Traditionally we sell about 90% of tickets in advance of any game,” he said. “Most of our weekend games you can’t walk up and buy a ticket. That is no different this year… we encourage folks that want to come out to a game to purchase them in advance.”

Macon Eggs

There are only three teams playing in the Coastal Plain League the season, with Savannah and Lexington County joining Macon. But the cities are adopting some additional squads this season.

The Bacon will share their home this season with the Eggs to create quite the breakfast combination.

The Eggs will fill gaps in the Bacon schedule made by teams in North Carolina and Virginia that won’t participate in the Coastal Plain League this season.

“We wanted to create another opportunity for our fans to still see a game with college ball players,” Raphael said. “Out of that was born our alter ego, or alter egg-o as we are saying, with the Macon Eggs. It wasn’t even a discussion point. It was so easy for us to come up with a second name because it just makes sense, Bacon and Eggs.”

Bacon games aren’t just about what’s happening on the baseball diamond: it’s dinner and a show. Entertainment includes Star Wars themed nights, event staff skits, fireworks and, this season, the introduction of a new mascot. New fans have also been installed to ensure the Bacon are the only thing cooking on a hot day at the ballpark

“We’ve got a couple new things up our sleeve. That we are excited about,” Raphael said. “We have a new pig, Notorious P.I.G that was named by the fans a.k.a Piggie Smalls.”

Raphael said that for those fans who have never been to a game now is the perfect time to give it a try. It’s a chance for people to get out of the house and get a taste of something that many have been missing in their lives in sports and plenty of Bacon both on the field and at the concession stands.

“Everything we do here is for the people of Middle Georgia. We love our community,” Raphael said. “We want people to come out to the games and have a great time.”