TORONTO – The Toronto Blue Jays and all 29 other major-league teams are committing $1 million each to help ballpark employees impacted by the suspension of the 2020 season amid the coronavirus outbreak.
In a statement, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said he was approached by representatives of all 30 teams over the past 48 hours looking for ways to assist, leading to the collective contributions.
“The individual clubs will be announcing more details surrounding this support effort in their local communities,” Manfred said in the statement. “The timing of these announcements will vary because of the need to co-ordinate with state and local laws as well as collective bargaining obligations in an effort to maximize the benefits realized by each group of employees. I am proud that our clubs came together so quickly and uniformly to support these individuals who provide so much to the game we love.”
The Blue Jays are still working through the specifics, but the $1-million commitment is separate from the Team Toronto fund announced Sunday night in co-ordination with the Maple Leafs, Raptors, Toronto FC and Argonauts.
That initiative is a personal effort by president and CEO Mark Shapiro and his counterparts from the city’s other four sports teams.
Some stadium and arena employees work at both Rogers Centre, where the Blue Jays play, and Scotiabank Arena, home to the Maple Leafs and Raptors, in order to stitch together a living, and have no events to look forward to for the foreseeable future.
Meanwhile, the Blue Jays sent an email to their regular-season ticket holders to update them on the latest delay announced Monday, and instructing them to hold onto their tickets “for the time being.”
Blue Jays Regular Season Ticket Update: pic.twitter.com/g9Y0qasLIg
— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) March 17, 2020
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