Norwich — Uncertainty still dominates any discussion about baseball this summer at Dodd Stadium, and, with a proposed Minor League Baseball contraction plan looming for the future, the question will remain: Will the newly named and decked out Norwich Sea Unicorns ever get to play?

The short season Single-A Detroit Tigers affiliate team is scheduled to start its 76-game 2020 season on the road June 18 and play its home opener June 21. But two big questions hang over the team and stadium.

The Tigers’ affiliate is one of 40 teams slated to be dropped from major league affiliations at the end of the 2020 baseball season in a controversial minor league contraction plan opposed by municipal leaders, state and congressional representatives of the targeted cities and towns.

Before that issue is resolved will come a decision soon on whether there will be any Minor League Baseball played at all this summer. Full-season teams, including the Hartford Yard Goats, already have been suspended during the COVID-19 sports shutdowns.

“At this point, we have not gotten any indication from Minor League Baseball that our season is not starting on time,” Sea Unicorns Senior Vice President CJ Knudsen said Tuesday. “We’re planning on our season starting June 18 and having our home opener on June 21.”

After signing a new 10-year lease last summer with the city of Norwich, the team rebranded itself, changing its name from the Connecticut Tigers to the Norwich Sea Unicorns.

The change and new logo of a narwhal decked out in a captain’s hat and harpoon have proven popular with fans and baseball merchandise collectors. Even with the season in doubt, some selections in the online sales at www.goseaunicorns.com are sold out or close to it.

But Knudsen said team operations have been affected by the coronavirus this spring. Single ticket sales that normally start in April have been delayed. The stadium is closed under the state-mandated shutdown of non-essential businesses, and all high school and college games and tournaments have been canceled. But the groundskeeper has been taking care of the field, Knudsen said.

“We’re planning to slowly open on May 20,” Knudsen said, citing the date Gov. Ned Lamont has set for partial reopening of some non-essential businesses.

The team has retained its six full-time staff without furloughs or layoffs and received a federal Paycheck Protection Loan to cover payroll and hasn’t started hiring the seasonal part-time staff to run concession stands, on-field between-inning contests, handle a myriad of tasks during homestands and broadcast the games on radio on WICH-AM 1310.

Knudsen said the team hasn’t yet reached out to local host families, who house players during the season on how comfortable they would be at having players stay with them this summer.

While Major League Baseball on Tuesday pitched a plan to the players’ association to restart MLB games without fans in early July, Knudsen said that idea would be detrimental to a minor league team’s success.

“The majority of our revenue comes from fans,” Knudsen said. “Tickets, billboards sold to sponsors, between innings events with sponsors. At the end of the day, Minor League Baseball is all about fans.”

Using a model proposed by the owner of fellow New York-Penn League team, the Hudson Valley Renegades, the Sea Unicorns have designed a plan for distance seating at Dodd Stadium. The Renegades' plan, published in the online newsletter Ballpark Digest, shows seating allowed in alternating rows.

Norwich Mayor Peter Nystrom said Knudsen discussed the plan with city officials and hopes it could be implemented if the team is allowed to play this summer. Nystrom is a member of the mayor’s task force formed to fight the proposed minor-league contraction plan and said it would be especially punitive to the team and the city if the Sea Unicorns aren’t allowed to play this year.

“We’re seeing all the coverage directed at the majors reopening with no fans now,” Nystrom said. “If they are able to go, why wouldn’t they let the (minor league) season start?”

c.bessette@theday.com