5:27PM: Officials from both the league and the players’ union will discuss players’ various concerns about the shutdown situation in a meeting tonight, ESPN’s Jeff Passan reports (Twitter link).
In other news, the possibility exists that when the schedule does get underway, some games could be played within an empty-stadium environment. For instance, Illinois governor J.B. Pritzker told Adam Hoge of NBC Sports Chicago and other media that owners of all Chicago sports teams, including the White Sox and Cubs, had agreed to either suspend home games or to not allow fans to attend home games until May 1.
2:11PM: Major League Baseball has officially halted on-field operations due as a response to the coronavirus pandemic. As per an announcement this afternoon, Spring Training has been suspended, and the start of the regular season will be delayed by at least two weeks.
The league’s full statement…
Following a call with the 30 Clubs, and after consultation with the Major League Baseball Players Association, Commissioner Robert D. Manfred, Jr. today announced that MLB has decided to suspend Spring Training games and to delay the start of the 2020 regular season by at least two weeks due to the national emergency created by the coronavirus pandemic. This action is being taken in the interests of the safety and well-being of our players, Clubs and our millions of loyal fans.
MLB will continue to evaluate ongoing events leading up to the start of the season. Guidance related to daily operations and workouts will be relayed to Clubs in the coming days. As of 4:00 p.m. (ET) today, forthcoming Spring Training games have been cancelled, and 2020 World Baseball Classic Qualifier games in Tucson, Arizona have been postponed indefinitely.
MLB and the Clubs have been preparing a variety of contingency plans regarding the 2020 regular season schedule. MLB will announce the effects on the schedule at an appropriate time and will remain flexible as events warrant, with the hope of resuming normal operations as soon as possible.
Nothing is more important to us than the health and safety of our players, employees and fans. MLB will continue to undertake the precautions and best practices recommended by public health experts. We send our best wishes to all individuals and communities that have been impacted by coronavirus.
It was widely expected that the league would make a ruling of this nature in short order, particularly after the NBA’s announcement last night that it was suspending its season set off a chain reaction of similar halts in play by numerous other professional (such as Major League Soccer, the National Hockey League, and the Association of Tennis Professionals) and college sports organizations.
MLS set a 30-day suspension on its regular season, and the NBA is also facing at least a 30-day break (as per Bruce Arthur of the Toronto Star). Major League Baseball’s 2020 season was scheduled to begin on March 26, and a two week delay to April 9 would set a timeline just shy of that 30-day mark. That said, it could be optimistic at best to expect games by April 9, given the global uncertainty surrounding the spread and treatment of COVID-19. These big-picture issues naturally take absolute top priority in the league’s mind, and only once those concerns are dealt with will MLB’s attention be more fully turned to baseball-related logistical factors, such as contractual terms, service time, player pay, how much time is needed for players to get prepared (or re-prepared) for regular-season action, etc.
While official Spring Training activities have been halted, some teams (including the Twins, Reds, Mets, and Nationals) are temporarily keeping their facilities open so players can take part in non-mandatory workouts. It remains to be seen how long camps will remain open, of course, as teams and players continue to monitor the situation and await further word from the league.
Should the halt in activities last far beyond April 9, a full 162-game season may not be feasible, unless the league was open to pushing the postseason fairly deep into November. At this point, MLB’s “variety of contingency plans” surely involves scenarios for a shortened season, perhaps akin to the 144-game 1995 season that didn’t begin until April 25 due to the players’ strike.
As much as I hate it, it’s the right move.
Agreed. It is certainly the right thing to do.
Please show all these morons saying this is an overreaction your post..
There is a WILD amount of delusion going on here, based on “I ME MY” vs “if a sick or old person gets this, they are probably going to die” – its not about you, hard to get it through peoples thick skulls sometimes.
Preach!!!!
Just curious, are the sick old people flocking to the stadiums?
Dtd , no, but you carry the stuff on you for days before you get sick. So you could get at a game and then ho visit your parents and infect them. That’s how these things work.
So, go straight home after the game and visit no one.
@tdt-lat
So you’re saying no young adults ineract with older or elderly people after a game???
Just by not attending a large gathering doesn’t mean you’re safe from this virus.
I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt that you’re a teenager and not really aware how serious this issue is.
I agree with what you are saying completely, but you really need to get checked to see if you have dyslexia. I’m not insulting you, I’m just trying to offer help.
Good point, lewhif
So you could get at a game and then ho visit your parents and infect them.
————————————————–
Same as if you went to work, or the market, or the mall. You probably should not be visiting the elderly or compromised.
Allin, I work in the medical field and the general consensus is that it is overblown. Approximately 88% of those the get the virus get nothing more than cold or flu symptoms. If you’re sick, stay home. It’s as simple as using common sense, no need to cancel life as we know it.
Total responsibility dictates that we should all purchase hazmat suits or self-quarantine for at least the next year and a half.
TDT,
Donovan Mitchell was feeling PERFECTLY FINE yesterday and he was just diagnosed with the virus. Is not as easy as “oh I’m feeling tired and coughing so I’m staying home” you could have it and feel perfectly fine. Plus, NOT EVERYONE uses “common sense”
I went to Vegas last week and after news all over to use “common sense” and “wash your hands thoroughly” I still saw people NOT WASHING their hands after using the restroom. It’s pretty despicable and irresponsible seeing it happen.
What, don’t have kids lysander?
Because you get sick. Give it to your kid, they go to school, they give to more kids, and their parents with high blood pressure and their grandparents get it, and more people die.
49 million Americans got the swine flu. Even if the mortality rate is 1%, that’s more Americans who will die of this than during WWII. One percent would be about 200 times more lethal than the swine flu. Stop being so brave, you’re killing people.
@DTD_ATL, I agree. and the evidence agree as well (although, if I was in my 80’s I’d have different opinion), but the world is in a state of panic now (largely due to the fact that all countries had two months to prepare, and didn’t do much).
Wow Atlanta. 88 percent? What’s 12 percent of 50 million. that’s how many people got the Swine Flu.
So only 24 million people would suffer.
Well, we now know what you don’t do in a hospital, and that’s something that requires logic.
I’m “killing people”? Really? So, it’s impossible to become ill unless I attend a sporting event? So, you’re expecting over 500,000 fatalities?
You need to crawl out from under your bed and actually think before you post.
Not impossible, just a whole lot less likely. It seems strange to have to explain basic concepts of probabilities to a baseball fan, but there it is.
Thinking, it really is a good idea.
Really? A LOT less likely? I doubt you have a grasp on the probability of contracting any illness from either a sporting even or any other activity, simply because you can’t possibly factor in all the variables. Yes, it does seem strange…
The only thing that will keep this from infecting 50 million people is for people to take this seriously.
We have death rates of around 3.5 percent. If we are lucky, we might be able to get it down to 1 percent
This isn’t Swine Flu where far less than .05 percent died. I haven’t read anything to suggest this is less contagious than the swine flu.
You do the math.
JoeBrady, what is a ho visit? Where you visit your parents on Sunday night for dinner and bring the girl you took home from the bar on Friday night? And we’re still talking about the infection being the Corona Virus, right?
“Doing the math” with a false premise results in…..nonsense.
This is the the problem! People who work “work in the field” giving advice!
Lol… clueless
This can’t really be a serious question. But okay, if you walk around the street randomly licking people’s faces you will have vastly increased the chances of transmitting disease. Even if it doesn’t hurt you it could hurt someone else. So please don’t do that. You can also accomplish much the same thing by hanging out in close proximity with tens of thousand of people, using the same restrooms and buying food from the same vendors. So please don’t do that. But you must be right, and the infectious disease experts must be totally wrong.
I agree
it’s a little weird you’re making note of people’s bathroom habits. also did you consider the fact that maybe they wash their hands before they use the restroom. That’s what I do. My penis isn’t dirty. why would I wash my hands after I touch it. Makes more sense to wash my hands before
Claiming that someone is a “moron”, simply because they may disagree, is in itself an “overreaction”.
When you’re underestimation will lead to the spread of the virus and get people killed, such a label might be appropriate.
If you are part of the problem, you’re a moron. If you simply have an opinion, then OK, you simply have an opinion.
So long as an argument is logical, claiming that the opponent is a moron is at the very least nonsensical.
Yep. That sure would be relevant if your argument was logical…
There is a possibility that this season will get canceled. People should be prepared for that. People comparing to past epidemics do not understand this virus. While the mortality rate is lower than some past outbreaks, the death toll may be higher because of how easy it is spread.
Those looking to get a better understanding should listen to the Joe Rogan interview with Michael Olsterholm, an internationally recognized expert in infectious disease epidemiology. He gives an outline of what we can expect, shortages of necessary drugs/equipment to deal with this pandemic, how the business community has been asleep at the wheel to these kinds of pandemics, examples of various quackery solutions, and various tips on what can be done to mitigate your chances of “infection.”
youtube.com/watch?v=E3URhJx0NSw
Given that this was not mandated by the states and municipalities in Arizona and Florida, and that the decision was made unilaterily by MLB very hastily and without any advance notice, there is a reasonable expectation of compensation for those affected by this elective decision by the MLB. It’s perfectly reasonable for people to look out for their own interests.
Most of you people are so brainwashed out of your minds, you have no idea. The entire media is literally owned by a handful of elite billionaires/trillionaires, but every word the lying media says you take as gospel. Pitiful. More people die in car wrecks everyday, but you’ve now consented to the real agenda at play. Don’t forget to tune in for your next “programming”, suckas! I’m sure you won’t.
if you’re an old person and you did it you have a 15% chance of dying. If you’re an old person and you walk outside of your home you have a 20% chance of dying. This is all overblown hysterical crap.
Yes, it is the right move. Unfortunately the next month or so is going to be quite boring in the sports world (unless by some miracle they let March Madness go on as scheduled). But it has to be done.
I believe March madness games will be played in an empty house (which is probably what the Astros were hoping for).
March Madness canceled.
Men’s and women’s tournaments are both now canceled.
“March Madness” originated in Illinois.
IHSA!
March Madness has not been cancelled. The March Madness we have been used to has just been changed to a different type of March Madness.
No sports on TV?
After years of procrastinating, I will finally complete all projects in the project jar!
Will continue to have nicest lawn in the neighborhood, too!
Whatever team wins the World Series this year should have a asterisk next to the championship if there isn’t a full 162 game schedule.
Sad. I understand why they did it, but it is still sad.
What concerns me is that the amount of money these organizations are willing to lose to protect people tells us all that it might be more serious than even the publicized “worst case scenarios”.
I guarantee it’s worse than pe nce is telling you.
Well that was totally expected.
I wish my employer would do the same.
As a social worker, who spends time in hospitals, schools and homes in Hartford, which has one confirmed case, I’d enjoy a two week break myself.
I do work in a lot of hospitals and they are about to stop all updates/remodels.
You can quit or be fired if that’s what you want?!
ahh, Sir … you have failed to take into account … ” The Money Aspect “
Wonder if they’ll just push back the schedule two (or more) weeks, or keep the schedule as it is but take those first two weeks and either play them later or cancel them? Opening day tickets are usually way more expensive than other days…
I would guess it depends on how long this goes on. If it gets to be too many games to make up, we will probably just have an abbreviated season.
And possibly move the postseason to a neutral warmer weather stadium in Oct./early Nov.
I hope they don’t cancel the White Sox opening series with KC?!
I’d rather they reschedule for September.
Makes a lot more sense to just cancel the first two weeks of games than rearrange the entire schedule going forward. Millions of people already bought tickets and made travel plans for specific dates; no need to screw up everyone’s schedules more than necessary.
The sucks so much
They should do the same with the regular season.
Smart move. Play it safe so we can enjoy a corona free season.
I’m just annoyed this is delaying the results of the investigation into sign stealing in 2018. Yes, this is a bigger priority, but I’m tired of waiting
you probably going to be disappointed with the outcome of that investigation. unless you’re a Red Sox fan. they’re not going to come down hard on the Red Sox. The Red Sox make the MLB too much money
Great opportunity to return the season to 154 games.
The Outlaw LOVES this idea
Its going to end up being half the season, watch. 81 game mini season best hope.
It looks like Michael Kopech may start opening day!
Whenever that is.
@ChiSox_Fan
That was a good one. Nicely played.
So I don’t see the regular season games starting in two weeks- don’t they need the players to ramp up before the season officially? Two weeks of spring training seems about right, no?
My guess, it will stat up mid april, have mini two week spring training and start early may.
I feel bad for Aaron Judge and Stanton that now have to find a new way to get injured to start the season.
lol
Some team will step up and ruin the pre determined Yankees World Series Championship just like they’ve done the last 10 years.
they’re playing this day by day most likely. even if things clear up quickly they could change plans.
At this point, I think we can all agree that this is the Yankees fault. If everyone thinks back when Judge and Stanton were hurt, they said the likelihood of playing Opening Day would require a “miracle” for them to heal in time. Well, here is the “miracle.” They get 2 extra weeks to ramp up and be ready. This is just clear proof the MLB is fixed and exists to pamper the Yankees.
Please only respond with equally outrageous anti-Yankee humor to really stir up their most sensitive commenters.
Better safe than sorry – MLB made the correct choice. Such a move will also bring to the public’s attention the seriousness of this matter. Wake up call.
Silver lining if you’re a fan of the Yankees or Indians. This will give your players more time to get healthy without missing too many games
This is my thinking. We can get Stanton back and maybe Judge’s rib will heal.
I wonder how the delay impacts suspended players?
They shouldn’t be rewarded for cancelled games.
You will have Paxton back by the time this is over. Heck maybe even Severino.
Honestly, as a NYY fan, I don’t really care if the team is at 100%. I’d rather be watching baseball.
So how many covid cases in Florida and Arizona?
We have no idea who has it anywhere, there are just not enough tests to find all the outbreaks (we are not using the worlds test everyone else is. We wanted to make our own, inexcusably. Now we have very few available still, 2 months after the first known infected landed in the US)
But the Mets complex quite possibly has it since Donovan Mitchell tested positive and was just with his dad (who works for the Mets) last week.
Since that visit, Donovan Mitchell Sr has been back with the club in Fla.
I’m curious what this will do for pitchers arm health if they are shut down for several weeks and then have to ramp up quicker than they are used to doing. I assume they are not allowed to continue baseball activities during this time.
They’re still able to practice at ST facilities, as far as I’ve heard. So I’m sure they can do sim games and/or bullpen sessions and what not.
Not like pitchers arms arent breaking down at record numbers. But they have millions invested in these arms so teams will do what they think is best.
Clear they are only doing this to give the Yankees injured players a chance to get healthy for start of season. On bright side, gonna be much tougher for Orioles to lose 100 games the longer the season is delayed.
Rest assure, the Oriokes will still lose their 100 games this year. Virus cannot stop that.
Not if they only play 81!
Really hope it’s only 2 weeks. I have great seats in denver for Rockies and Reds. I’m 5th row and about 4 sections from the Rockies dugout. I’m kinda hoping to take a picture with the Rockies mascot again. This time I wont wear my kris Bryant jersey
And H1N1 came to humans from pork. The only way to stop viruses from jumping from animals to people is for us all to become vegetarians.
That’s not how it works.
I was responding to some idiot complaining about bat soup. His post got deleted.
Absolutely!!
People are just ignoring this part
when they get back they should expand rosters and allow more bullpen arms – that could account for pitchers that don’t have the opportunity to get in shape. I know it is kind of counter considering the 3 batter rule that was meant to stop having as many pitching changes but if you don’t do it the pitching will suuuuuck
Would hope. I could see them being allowed to carry 28-30 players for the first couple of weeks, once they do restart.
Should’ve left the comments closed for this one.
Why? So you can bury your head in the sand and ignore how moronic your fellow human beings can actually be? I like reading them, it always makes me feel better about myself. Unless of course I get dragged down into the muck too, which I freely admit has happened in the past.
I feel better about myself after reading most of your comments.
HaHa
Cool. Now my resume is true where I claimed to spend time making the mentally ill feel better. Good luck to you buddy.
And there I go getting dragged down again. Oh well. Might as well enjoy it, everything else is cancelled so I have to do something with my time.
Right thing to do? Overblown? Does not matter. NO WAY MLB could have gone on like nothing happening with all the other professional sports responding in some way. I would have preferred them playing in empty stadiums. Got to have something to do while huddled at home riding this out. The streaming services better beef up their servers. Something tells me they are going to get very busy.
Invest in streaming stocks, those are going to skyrocket!
If you looking to refinance your house, you will never find a better time to do so again.
As a loan officer, I can’t endorse this comment enough.
Awwww, I was going to tailgate and make trash can chicken in the parking lot next to Minute Maid for the home opener.
You still can. You should get a great parking spot too.
Probably a dumb question, but do the players still collect their salaries for those days?
Contracts are guaranteed, they get paid regardless.
Many commenters on this site rely on their personalities for social distancing.
Great comment. I think you expand it to all comment sections.
Well the season has an asterisk now. Whoever wins this season is worthless.
Nah, this isn’t like 2017.
Bull s
Manfred really don’t know how to handle the Astros cheating scandal
Dodgers fans realizing they’re gonna miss the Astros boo fest at Anaheim in 3,2,1….
This is good news for the Giants. With a average age of 55 they might not of gotten on the field all year. Thanks for saving the team MLB.
Very disappointing to hear this but it’s the right call although more then likely this corona is being used to create fear which will create control and cash. People are being conditioned to believe that contracting the virus will kill you, little do people know that less then 5% die from the coronavirus and that since January there has been more deaths from the flu then the corona. The big problem which is scary is the speed that it spreads and this is the real issue.
Influenza spreads far faster since millions get infected within just a couple of months. Corona has not come even a fraction as close to this given that there’s only about 1500 cases in the US. From the CDC… October 1 through February 29, 2020 there have been 34-49 million flu illnesses. That’s incredible. I’m not sure how they figured that Corona was so contagious. Doesn’t sound like it to me. I know they have taken measures to slow it down but we don’t know the full extent since there have been plenty of people who haven’t reported to the authorities.
There’s no room for logic here – you need to fall in line and praise the commish, then move to the next line to receive your “Caring Award”.
From the RS perspective, at least this gives us one more excuse for why Sale isn’t pitching. And a 2-week delay puts him on target for opening day.
Shut up, it’s BB, I’m allowed my fantasy.
Incite panic and watch the world burn
It’s no fun to watch a world full of calm people burning.
I hate this entire situation and everybody needs to quit listening to politicians and their local newspaper writers because they do not know. Keep it simple people listen to your doctor. Keep your hands clean wash your hands often
Stay away from anyone who is sneezing or coughing. And please people TAKE SOME PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY. IF YOU ARE SICK STAY HOME. YOU ARE INFECTING EVERYONE ELSE.
And that would work if symptoms start at Day 1, Problem is that you can have it for up to two weeks without knowing. More likely 5 days but that’s a lot of people interacted with during that time you’re contagious.
To quote Nick Rivers: “That sucks.”
yes, MLB officials wanted to have the Yankees, Red Sox and Mets get their final game in today….but we end it at 4 pm so Arizona games do not get a chance to play.
Expect a high number of players on the IL when the season restarts…….many players will get injured, pull a hammy……or might be put in a TJ situation……….we shall see.
Obviously this is not the most important info, but how will this affect service time? Will you still have to have the same number of days to qualify for a full year or will the number change based on any cancelled games?
Here’s the problem. If 1 person gets sick today, they’ll go to the hospital/doctor and be fine. If 5000 people get it tomorrow and go to the doctor/hospital all at one time, they can’t cover that many.
There is really no treatment other than the usual for any virus, and you can do that at home, so no need to see an MD.
Summer Olympics will be cancelled…….just a matter of time.
Now that they have come to a decision on Coronavirus…maybe they finally come to a conclusion on the Red Sox Investigation?
Cubs should have traded KB.
Only 1 season left now before free agency.
What about the minor league players? “Guidance related to daily operations and workouts will be relayed to Clubs in the coming days.” HUH??????? Minor leaguers already receive no salary during ST. If their told to stick around camp is the MLB going to pay their daily per diem and housing? S*** rolls down hill and these players are the last to be told and compensated…
MiLB just announced they too will be delaying the starts to their full season leagues. Ya, unless you’re a big bonus baby (or even a small bonus baby), this ain’t fun.
Slack is dead, Uninstall not working, data theft likely.
Now Yasiel Puig has got to be kicking himself.
What happens to the Free Agent Contest now with Puig unlikely to sign while this issue is being dealt with?
Can I just say how glad I am that MLB The Show 20 early releases at midnight to distract me from baseball not being played for real?! Also, thank God for full minor league rosters this year, as we all know that the best players for the Mariners are yet to debut.
Further ramifications: no NCAA tournament, likely many cancellations of college/high school games, almost no scouting possible. How do you hold a draft?
MLB network just dusted off the old movies again…..either that, or Mad Dog 24 hours a day…..
So many of these posts miss the point. Why truncate the schedule? If the season starts two weeks late, everybody schedules some doubleheaders. That was a regular part of the baseball schedule for a LONG time. If it doesn’t start until May, then sure, you’ll likely have to reconfigure the schedule. I’m surprised Mr. Polishuk didn’t offer doubleheaders as a possible solution.