We’ve seen some interesting potential proposals floated for getting the 2020 season underway — including an All-Arizona Plan and a Grapefruit/Cactus League Variation. Those may just be the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the possibilities.
Dodgers president Stan Kasten discussed the matter in an appearance on the Petros & Money Show on AM 570 LA Sports (h/t Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register, on Twitter). He gave clear indication that Major League Baseball has yet to fix its intention on a particular approach.
Indeed, per Kasten, the expanded Spring Training approaches floated to date are just some of many ideas under consideration. What is known publicly represents “just one percent” of the logistical modifications that have received some degree of consideration, according to the long-time baseball exec.
As for how things will turn out, Kasten wasn’t interested in making predictions as to whether and how a season will be staged. “The truth is,” he said, “we just don’t know.”
The coronavirus shutdown has created a quandary for MLB. Like any business, the league is understandably anxious to get back to action and is rightly planning for different possibilities. But putting on sporting events — even without fans present — is an awfully tricky proposition in the midst of a pandemic, as Stephanie Apstein explored today at SI.com.
Somehow, it still hasn’t quite been a full month since Spring Training was halted. We can only hope we’ll be in a much better place when we look back thirty days from now — perhaps even such that it’s possible to re-engineer the 2020 season.
No season please.
I’ll take a season, please!
A season if it can be done safely, please.
how about there be one but you just pretend its not happening? problem solved
No sissy virus going to stop Baseball
@rj, “sissy virus?” It’s presently killing 2000+ a day in the U.S. with a total number 20,061 as of my post. Within two weeks, if the pace continues (let’s hope it does not, obviously), we’ll surpass the total number of deaths from the Vietnam war. I LOVE baseball and really wish games were safely being played. But, at present this virus is kicking baseball’s ass. More importantly than our beloved sport, it’s kicking humanity’s ass.
No
Powers to be need to stop dancing, and get on with the decisions… something is far better then nothing people, but procrastinating is not getting it!
they’re not procrastinating. lots of moving parts here. its not an easy thing to do.
A date would be great, the fact is many of the states’ shelter in place EO’s expire April 30th. That’s why I believe something should start May 1st. If it gets worse or the EO’s get extended, reschedule to less infected areas or states that will allow gatherings. Something is indeed better than nothing.
I think la extended it to May 15
@agentp. Do you think the shelter in place orders are somehow written in stone? Obviously the states can and will extend that date. You’re acting like April 30 rolls around and everything is automatically back to normal?
than* and feel free to be the daring one who gets in touch with Mr. Coronavirus and asks them when they plan on finishing infecting people. It’s hard to plan a season when you don’t know what the world will look like a month from now.
They are awaiting federal health authority recommendations based off mlb’s different proposals.
I’m sure they have many scenarios planned out. Why would baseball have a plan set when no one else can? Player safety should be priority one.
The sooner, the better! May 1st is a good date for a fan-free spring training, once successfully they’d be able transition that into some kind of season starting May 15th with a larger roster and adjusted schedule. Let’s go!
So the guy at Popeyes can go to work or the stoner at Giant is good to go but sequestered MLB players aren’t? Guys and gals, we can safely have a season, separation isn’t the only answer. I know there’s a naysayer waiting to pounce but what I opined is true.
It’s going to take longer than a 14 day ST to get ready. esp for the Pitchers. I think Memorial Day is better. Make it a big celebration. Get America pumped up.
As long as they’re playing baseball, I agree. Only if all the spring training games are broadcast.
Or just start the season a week after the new spring training and open with 40 man rosters and scale em back as the season progresses.
That “stoner at Giant” you refer to is actually considered essential personnel. Baseball players are not
to be fair, i get the idea that ST would need to be at least 3 weeks, but its worth considering the pitchers already played some ST just a month ago, and probably have at least been keeping their arms fresh since. i still dont think May 1st is feasible though, more because of travel issues that may restrict the movement of foreign players. (though they can probably get special exceptions to get back before others) id feel like you could swing 3 weeks with two formal weeks of spring training on the low end.
As long as they’re broadcasting, I’m good!
its also possible that if they cant get regulation games going earlier they even just expand ST broadcasts to have some games going out.
Memorial for opening day has me excited just pretending.
Please explain why you think May 1st is some magical date. What will have changed in just over two weeks that makes you think a roster of 40 players, plus managers, support staff, reporters, TV broadcasting crew, etc will be safe to hang around in confined clubhouses, gyms, dugouts, break rooms, and more?
As much as I love, love, love baseball I would gladly trade this season for good health for all the players.
Different scenarios are being floated and while these ideas carry some merit, it makes no sense to jump into something without being certain players, fans, baseball officials and others associated with game are not put at risk.
After all, the country is being tortured not just by the uncertainty of what lies ahead but by the current buffoon in the White House who is only concerned with himself and not in trying to help a scared population.
thanks for bringing politics into this.
I understand and it’s not usually my habit to mix the two. But I suppose if I were to reword my comment just a bit, I could have just left it at the nation’s welfare — which is almost on life support — should be paramount.
But you did mix it. You have no credibility
Dark side- exactly
seriously? you’ve been bringing politics into this for the whole week DarkSide, we get it you’re on the DarkSide — ooh how scary. Not really but you sure act like emperor palpatine
The idiot president brought politics into this. He’s such a coward he can’t even do his dang job without passing the buck to everyone else. You wanna talk about loud mouth sissies, we’re led by one right now.
Using your logic, we should shut the country down for every single flu season, since 60K-100K die each year in the USA from the flu.
COVID-19 won’t touch 50K probably not even 40K. We should NOT be shutdown past May 1st if the current trends continue, its unacceptable. If the WHO did THEIR job we wouldn’t be in this mess. Wanna call someone a buffoon, there ya go!
When liquor stores are deemed essential and churches are not, that tells you all you need to know.
if we dont play this right we will blow past flu numbers. look at the % death rates. they speek the best for the actual danger per capita.
80% or so of those deaths are underlying conditions in people 70+. And, 95% have mild to no symptoms. PLAY. THE. GAME
I don’t know where you get your numbers. The highest number the CDC reports for the flu is 61.000 and that’s the high end of an estimated range of 12,000-61,000. That’s 12,000-61,000, as in could be 12,000.
We are currently at 20K deaths for COVID in one month. The latest projections (today) are for 61.500 COVID deaths total, virtually all of those by June 1. That means another 40,000 in the next 6 weeks or so.
And that was with drastic measures. We saved tens if not hundreds of thousands of lives with social distancing and shelter in place. Think about that before you flap your yap about the flu. We will lose 60,000 WITH drastic measures. With the flu, we don’t take any drastic measures so what we lose is the max. With COVID, the counting, if anything, is conservative, because there are cases of respiratory arrest that are not being ascribed to COVID.
More than half the country is not even following these directions, The subways are packed in NYC.
Some people see faith in a liquor bottle.
At least alcohol can be proven to exist…
best comment on these boards ever
@agentp Pay attention, idiot. Do you understand that hospitals are overflowing??? Or did that not make the “news” on Fox News? Do you see hospitals overflowing every year because of the flu, genius? Do you see every year people dying in hallways because they can’t get ventilators? You’re a coward and a fool.
What a stupid post. This “buffoon” is being praised world leaders and health experts everywhere for his work on the crisis. Especially since when he first closed travel with China he was bashed by Dems for “bigotry”. You should realize that your sources are owned by Democrats and of course don’t want you to like him.
Right…because cutting finding to the CDC for years and ignoring warnings was a great call. Also the call he made to ARod and JLo about the disease to get their opinions was a HUGE effort to get this place cleaned up. Let’s also give Carnival Cruise line and American Airlines 500 million each while they lay off their employees.
To be fair no one is handling this well at all. Both sides have failed. There is no solution in November.
Playing baseball may 1st is ridiculous. This thing can come back around. All these people care about is their money, they don’t care about our lives at all.
He’s out of his mind. It was fun and funny before but not so much anymore with corona virus.
If he asks if he can lick your face, run. Fast.
100% agree the truth!!
Jakeabbey05 Could not have stated this more succinctly.
He’s doing a better job than crooked Hillary or Creepy Joe would do. He’s a true leader not a buffoon
please explain how exactly he is a true leader.
Actually all three of them are or would do a terrible job. We really do suck when it comes to the nominations lol.
We? You’re Canadian. There is no we when you don’t have a say in another country.
Uhm what? You’re trolling is reaching unprecedented levels of stupidity now.
Like how do you possibly clown yourself in every comment? I don’t even think you’re trying to do it anymore which is astounding.
OrAnGe MaN bAd!!! Derrrrr
Stan knows what’s going on here. lots of moving parts and uncertainty, but no reason to throw cold water on things as of right now.
When and if the season starts a plan to rework the schedule needs to happen to provide ensure fairness.
id imagine theyre working on that right now. very possible the Cactus and Grapefruit leagues get divided into 2 or 3 balanced divisions each to keep things as equitable as possible within the confines of what teams already make up these leagues. (because i see no way they swap teams between Arizona and Florida given several logistical issues)
One league in Arizona, the other in Florida. No interleague or NL DH.
Your proposal of no DH doesn’t work. There are several AL teams that train in Florida who can’t be forced to have pitchers hit. The only logical way to operate is with the DH.
The biggest problem with the propsoal today is no one wants to see two teams from the same leauge in the World Series.
if we’re honest that’s probably pretty low on the average fan’s list of concerns right now.
The alignment of teams I saw on espn is dumb. Why don’t they use the natural rivalries. Put all the Calif teams in one group as a example
the problem is you can only go so far. you could probably get 10 teams from both Florida and Arizona into neat groups, but you’d probably end up with an oddball in each.
Rather no baseball than this nonsense
feel free not to pay attention then.
Thanks for the tip
It’s completely ridiculous and far fetched
Enjoy your boring life watching the Tiger Doc on Netflix
I’ll pass
no matter how much you or owners want baseball played players wouldn’t participate if it is not safe for them or their families.
That’s fine. Stay home and don’t get paid.
MLB has agreed to pay players on 40 man rosters regardless if there is a season in 2020 or not.
because you have the authority to not pay the players?
It took you 6 years to find a path to an agreement with ONE other cable provider besides Time Warner. No one wants to hear from you
Thats not how TV deals work. Specturm paid them for the Dodgers rights and they can do what they please with it.
hmmm this is what the players are saying: “I don’t want to be putting myself in a position where you could go and infect someone or get infected, and we have coaches, staff, people around us who are older and could be truly affected by this.”
“You can want whatever you want, but that doesn’t mean that it can happen.”
“”Honestly, my reaction would be I’m not OK with being separated from my family in the middle of a pandemic.”
“”I live in Arizona, so does that mean I have to leave my house for four months and live down the street at a hotel? I’m not sure I would do that.”
They seem to get it. Why can’t selfish, moronic fans get it through their skulls.
espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/29017716/too-much-iron-pla…
Look… most commenters here know more about baseball than I do, so I read the comments to learn. But the comments sections on these COVID posts are a wasteland. Please close them.
here’s a thought don’t read them, jabroni.
You came up with a thought? Astounding
hey Andy GFY man. GFY. Like you’re the Mensa member of this board? HA!
Am I ever glad I’m not quarantined with this dude
Fan tend to fixate on the resumption of play scenarios that surface but it would be surprising if MLB wasn’t looking at dozens of them.
I’ll be happy with anything the circumstances allow them to pull off, at this point, even if it’s a throwaway season from a historical standpoint.