Major League Baseball formally announced today that the Diamondbacks/Padres series that had been planned to take place on April 18-19 in Mexico City and the Marlins/Mets series that was set for April 28-30 in San Juan, Puerto Rico have been canceled. The series will be held in Phoenix and Miami, as the D-backs and Marlins had been designated the “home” team for each of those neutral-location sets of games.
It was something of a fait accompli that both series would be postponed at the very least. Major League Baseball has already pushed back the season opener until at least mid-May, making it clear that those games wouldn’t be played as scheduled. Still, it’s a tough break for baseball fans in Mexico City and in San Juan that they won’t have the opportunity to attend those games, just as the organizations and players are likely disheartened not to play in such unique settings.
“It breaks our heart we won’t be playing in front of the incredible fans in Mexico this year, but health and safety come first,” the D-backs said in a statement announcing the cancellation of the series.
There’s yet to be an indication as to what will happen with Major League Baseball’s London Series between the Cardinals and Cubs, which is scheduled to take place on June 13-14. Those contests are technically designated as “home” games for the Cardinals, so if the league takes a similar course of action, they’ll be postponed and held in St. Louis at a later date.
maybe next year
It took them this long to announce
Good we don’t need to play there
Why not? You know where the best Rum is from?
I’ll be shocked if any MLB games are played in 2020.
I’ll second that….. we need to do more with getting Manfred out
All you have to do is buy 30 MLB teams.
Prepare to be shocked.
The problem for MLB is if people start realizing they can do without them. The hardcore fans are going nowhere, but the longer MLB (and sports in general) stay away the more the casual fan will find something else to occupy their time. This really could hurt pro sports in the long term.
I was 18 for the 1994 strike (yes I am old, let it go). I was about as hardcore a fan as you could find. But after the strike, I didn’t pay attention to baseball again at all until the McGwire/Sosa HR summer of 1998. Granted, this is not the same thing, but it does show that even the most hardcore of us can move on to other things. So imagine how easy it would be for the casual fan to move on.
Yeah but there were alternatives to watching baseball during the strike. Since everything is pretty much cancelled it won’t have that affect
yeah, it certainly makes me miss baseball more- i was actually looking forward to going to more milb games this year..
I think you are the exception to the rule. I “Jones” for MLB Every single day of the offseason. I live and breath baseball. I am dying here without it. I love NHL as well, but baseball is my blood. The NFL is only worth watching when The Giants are winning and I dont think I ever watched an NBA game. The 94 strike was definitely painful,I couldnt wait for baseball to come back. My Dad on the other hand never watched another game unless he was at my house and it was on.I continued buying my season tickets until The Mets traded for Mike Piazza. I gave them up after that cause I was a Big Todd Hundley fan and was ripping pissed at that move! But I still went to games.
Should have started playing in Mexico City 20 years ago.
Be prepared to be shocked.
this just in
I expect MLB to start around first of June and play a shortened season. But, it would not surprise me if they just sacrificed a year. Think of the money lost, though.
That’s a huge loss of money.
it would suprise me. there wolnt be any “sacrificing.” if they have a chance to play even a few games then they will
What’s the point?
On June 1 last year most teams had played about 57 games. That means that from June 1 on it’s perfectly plausible to play a 100(-ish) game schedule, with 3 weeks of spring training before that. 100 games is fine to determine postseason teams.
If by late may the corona virus is still not under control and the season threatens to become even shorter than I don’t think it should fully count.
I see a 2-3 month season. Same playoff format.
Trade deadline somewhere between 9/1-15.
7/1…. thats 45 days after projected peak break.
No doubt this had to happen. It sucks but it’s a good call by MLB.
I predict Detroit will not lose 100 games this year, and could be in playoff hunt if season is 80 games or less. It will really change dynamics of baseball with a short season
A bad team is a bad team just like Seattle. Less games doesn’t make a particular teams chances better. How long have you been the Tigers PR guy?
well he’s right that they won’t lose 100 games. i don’t think that it’s a given that teams would be in the hunt but a streak like say the giants had last year can make all the difference in a short season