We’ve heard of a handful of ideas about ways in which MLB could look to bring back games in 2020. Many have involved centralizing teams in a few states, perhaps with temporary league and divisional realignment. MLB’s “preferred plan,” however, is to stage as many games as possible in teams’ current home parks, reports Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. Those games would still be without fans, of course, at least at the beginning of the season.
Should play in home stadiums prove feasible, the schedule would be designed to limit travel, Topkin adds. Teams would primarily be pitted against opponents from within one’s division and the other league’s corresponding division. (So, AL East teams would predominantly face division rivals as well as NL East opponents, NL Central teams would see a heavy dose of the AL Central, etc.). Previously considered ideas, including centralizing all thirty teams in Arizona or arranging groups in Arizona, Florida and Texas, are now “less likely” and “being downplayed or dismissed,” Topkin notes.
MLB was already considering staging spring training games at home parks, but orchestrating the regular season from teams’ home bases would be a more significant undertaking. If possible, it would offer some stability the other proposals would not have. Players and their families would be able to live in their teams’ home cities, rather than moving to a central location for a few months. Players would still have to abide by social distancing requirements, but they wouldn’t be quarantined. MLB wouldn’t necessarily have to consider drastic structural realignment, although an expanded postseason would be a possibility, Topkin adds. And even without fans in attendance, there could be some comfort for TV viewers in seeing teams at familiar confines.
Regardless of where and when MLB attempts to return to action, there’d be myriad challenges. Coronavirus testing needs to be available to players and staff. The league needs to have contingency plans in place in case someone involved tests positive. Players would no doubt have to ramp up quickly in an abbreviated spring training 2.0. There remains massive uncertainty.
Optimism is building around the league that some portion of the season can be salvaged, though. It seems the hope is that’ll be possible without needing to gather teams at a few central locations.
at the rate they are going the next plan will be a 50 state plan
2020 World Series: Honolulu Dodgers in 6 over the Anchorage Yankees
Anchorage in5.
If the postseason extends as far into November as many expect, an early afternoon World Series contest in Anchorage will be a night game, to say nothing of how cold it might be.
world series in the virgin islands
I want to watch baseball too but I swear if players start dying cuz of the league jumping the gun I’ll never forgive them.
The decision will ultimately be made by the players and their union on whether or not they will play. I am guessing that if the MLBPA decides to resume the season, some players will choose not to play and not get paid. Hopefully, MLB will allow this happen and not penalize or fine players for refusing to play. It should be their choice and their choice alone since they are potentially risking their lives to play a game for our entertainment purposes (and for their personal income too of course). So if players elect to come back and a few get sick and die, it will have been their choice to do so. At least I really hope the choice is ultimately up to the players.
The death toll is approximately the same as the flu and that’s with this being a novel virus. The players will be fine just as 99% of the rest of us are. Stop buying panic.
Players aren’t going to die idiot
Opening on limited basis should be possible-limited regional games ,limited travel and limited attendance- no season ticket sales this season, three empty seats between attendees, open row between attendees, non active players stay in clubhouse- active sports will help those of us going stir crazy and like it or not, the country has to reopen
Yep. Start with empty stadiums them let local authorities decide when a partial attendance policy will be ok.
People talking about the US or Canada are being far too general. The problem varies significantly from region to region. There’s no blanket approach that will work for everyone.
I’m finally starting to feel better about this virus. The other day 150 random people got tested in our county and none of them were positive for corona. Now, in Texas it hasn’t been a huge outbreak, though it’s still nice to see. What’s weird is that I’m starting to see a lot more NY license plates, and Fiat 500’s driving around. I think people are migrating lol.
Me too. Orange County is starting widespread antibody testing, in line with the medical experts from Stanford and USC who believe the virus has been in California since late 2019. A software company a mile from my office tested its staff and had a 10% positive rate.
So far LA and Orange Counties are testing at about 3.5% positive for the antibodies, meaning we’ve likely had 500-600,000 cases already.
Out of 3.6 million people, Orange County has had about 50 deaths. The numbers are worse in LA, but so is the population density and most quality of life factors.
Please let the dodgers play the asterisks multiple times, please!
Astroisks. Common man. Step your word play game up.
Not in Toronto they won’t & frankly I highly doubt the number of medical professionals & resources needed to facilitate interstate travel will nor should be approved.
And just like that, 70 comments deleted.
Thank the stars for that!
While I’m all for any plan that involves playing games, I see a lot of issues that would need to be resolved. Like it may be easy for a team like TB where the numbers of cases are lower but seems dangerous for a team like Yankees, Dodgers, or Seattle where the virus has had a larger impact. A three game set for a visiting team would require hotels, travel, involvement from others, etc. Then what about two weeks in when a player gets the virus and they have to shut everything back down. Just seems like the best thing to do is punt this season.
So much still must be up in the air… A lot of the country is re-opening (for want of a better word) Monday; I would imagine and hope sports and entertainment are watching closely. If we try a minimal re-opening and see a huge spike in positive tests, we should know we have a huge problem. If phase one works and we move on to phase two and see a huge spike in positive tests, we should know that we still have a problem. There’s pretty much zero definitive answers now, so things have to be tried. I guess all we can hope for is reasonable reactions to the results we get.
I still think the biggest issue is what will be done when the inevitable happens, aka the first player tests positive. Obviously, you tend to his health, but just how much gets shut down? What criteria gets used for who gets quarantined? Without plans in place for that ahead of time, the leagues could be setting themselves up for panic and/or bedlam.
@hubcap
To my knowledge, the purpose of tracking will be to quarantine anyone who has been in contact with an infected individual. That would put the entire team in quarentine. Guess they need to make testing readily available. For everyone.
And that kind of leads to the question, once you quarantine an entire team, what happens to the entire plan? That’s 14 days worth of unplayed games that will be tough to make up. The permutations make it a nightmare.
Now they’re thinking full travel, no quarantine? That was quick.
a real season of less games or nothing. none of this gimmic portrayal that they are spinning as a ‘regular’ season. playing in spring training facilities or special schedules. money grab inc.
We aren’t anywhere close to acting like 100 years ago. Today’s social media will not allow it. Many then were not aware of the virus. Not the case today.
Not actually true. Many of the same measures were put into effect in 1918-19 as we are doing now including the closure of schools and high traffic businesses and wearing masks. Even with the relatively primitive medical knowledge of the day they knew the virus was transmitted from person to person by contact.
should be easy to pick runners off base with the 6ft rule
If there’s no live sports at all for the rest of this year it will be harder to keep people at home. That is why the UK wants to restart the Premier League in June.
I think this could work NL/AL West. No fans, nake the games affordable to watch on the MLB app.
The danger factor would be if a member of a team or organization were to get I’ll and die.
Theres real risk with sports. Good luck to them making a deal to play.
I think we get an announcement this week for a future spring training start date!
Yeah, Spring…2021.
I hope you are right! A ton of hourly workers need the paycheck in stadiums, distributors and vendors. Baseball can be on the leading edge of getting the country back on track…. safely!