Photo by Robert Ferdinandt/Courtesy Visit Saint Paul
The St. Paul Saints recently announced they will return to the field in time for the Fourth of July with a 60-game season. However, the Saints will not defend their 2019 championship title at CHS Field right away. As part of a hub model, the team will share Sioux Falls Stadium, home of the the Sioux Falls Canaries in South Dakota.
Six of the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball league’s 12 teams aren’t able to play at all this season due to their states’ protocols and the economic and logistic feasibility. (Although there’s no baseball, CHS Field is hosting a pop-up cafe, open daily for lunch on the ballpark’s concourse.)
For die-hard fans willing to make the four-hour trek to support the team in person, tickets can be purchased through the Sioux Falls Canaries site. People who already bought home Saints tickets will be able to use them if and when CHS Field is cleared to open, whether this season or next season.
For those who can’t make the trip, KFAN+ will continue to broadcast every Saints game with Sean Aronson’s familiar voice, and a partnership between the American Association and Vimeo will let you watch the game for a low price. After every Friday game, there will be the traditional Sioux Falls Canaries fireworks show; if you’re in Minnesota, you can catch it live on the Canaries’ Facebook.
According to a Facebook Live Q&A with Sioux Falls Canaries general manager Duell Higbe, the stadium and sports teams are doing everything they can to ensure employees, players, and fans are as safe as possible. A greater emphasis on cashless transactions and a ready-to-order app are in the works for concessions, and as American Association commissioner Joshua Schaub commented in a Facebook Live Q&A with Aronson, players will probably nix clubroom huddles and show up ready to play. Social distance seating will be implemented, maxing the stadium at about 2,400 people.
Masks—while encouraged—will not be required for fans. (Buy a $12 Saints face mask and the team will donate one to Regions Hospital for visitors and patients. Choose between a Mudonna pig snout, a blue plaid with the Saints logo, and a Saints baseball pattern.) Cleaning will be emphasized even more. You know how it goes.
You might even see some familiar faces amid the canary yellow: “We will be taking a scaled down version of our entertainment crew to Sioux Falls,” Aronson wrote in an email. “It will not be the same every day and no guarantee on if Mudonna or the ushertainers will be there for every game, but we are working on doing as much as we can.”
Read More: If you’re thinking about making the pilgrimage to our home team, check out our guide for a weekend Sioux Falls trip. While not everything may be up to date due to the pandemic, it’ll give you a hint of the area’s beauty and recreation.
