10:22am: The O’s have given their blessing, Jon Heyman of MLB Network tweets.
7:23am: Already bounced by Canada and turned away by the state of Pennsylvania, the Blue Jays are now engaged in talks with the Orioles about the use of Camden Yards. Dan Connolly and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic write that the O’s are amenable, with a few caveats.
The biggest question, as we’ve now learned from experience, isn’t whether the local logistics can be arranged. It’s whether the final authorities will grant approval for whatever scheme is worked out.
In this case, that means convincing the state of Maryland to permit another professional sports resident and, more importantly, to facilitate the flow of traffic of visiting teams to and from other states. That was the issue that gummed up the both of the Blue Jays’ prior schemes to play ball through the pandemic.
Before formal approval is sought, the two teams still need to hammer out a means of hosting the Jays. Per the report, the newly nomadic ballclub would not be permitted to utilize either of the regular clubhouses. Instead, they’d be housed in some kind of makeshift facility — potentially, one constructed in the Camden Yards concourse.
It’s quite the situation to be sorting out on Opening Day, though thankfully the Jays’ schedule allows a bit of remaining breathing room. If the Camden Yards effort fails to pan out, the barnstorming Blue Jays will likely be forced to settle for a minor-league facility — quite likely their top affiliate in Buffalo, New York.
A thought: Maybe check with Maryland *first* and if they’re going to veto it, then you don’t even need to worry about the negotiations with the Orioles.
State won’t consider to accept or deny until they see a plan from both teams..
Clepto is right. Connelly and Rosenthal are only reporting the baseball side and are doing so too quick. Same pattern as the previous stories involving the Blue Jays. They are doing their due diligence and have been long before the Canadian Gov’t screwjob.
I’m sorry, are you suggesting the Canadian Gov’t as the screwjob? Wow. Absurd.
Are you suggesting the Canadian Gov’t as the screwjob? Wow. Absurd.
One more time, please. One more time, please.
Suggesting the Canadian Gov’t was the screwup is absurd. Apologies not necessary. Thanks for the advice of one more time.
Please no more but who if you think rationally can fault ANY government.
cpt – it became a screwjob after the Jays were let back into the country in the first place. This charade would have been settled by now.
The most logical answer is to have them be the “home” team in the opposing stadiums..
If they are to play in the other teams’ stadiums, would they not need the approval of each state health department since they are creating additional occupation that wasn’t approved yet?
You can get approval a lot faster from the Orioles than you can from a city.
Do the quick one first. But regardless, I don’t know how they can get this done on time.
“Connelly and Rosenthal are only reporting the baseball side and are doing so too quick.” The name of the website is MLB Trade RUMORS, not MLB Trade FACTS.
They should go to Nashville and play. They have a new stadium there and they want to prove they can host a MLB franchise. Good time to have a city that claims they are ready for MLB to host the team
@Tom, Umm….did you think? They report in the general media first. This site graciously collects all tidbits, which invalidates your poorly thought out comment. Those two are not exclusive to this site.
Is it fair to push any team on a municipality during a pandemic? Nice idea if the city and state are on board but a thumbs down should not be a strike against Nashville.
My point is it will a lot easier for nashville to let them play there. the politicians will want to make a statement and bring a team to their city.
Baltimore City just mandated masks outside when you can’t social distance. So batters, catchers and home plate umpire will need to wear a mask by this rule. Hopefully it is enforced. If they can’t have schools open they don’t need baseball players flying around the country infecting everyone. Shut it down.
Don’t they flight private planes? And never come across other big crowds of other folks?
As I recall. Don’t they have to test every other day? More than a usual worker?
You dont’ think players are going to go out for dinner when they are in Florida and try to hook up wtih the ladies. Then bring the virus back to the next city they play in.
They give special exemptions- like here in NY – you can’t come to NY from a whole mess of states without quarantining yourself for two weeks. yet Baseball is being given an exemption, why? TAX REVENUES from the players.
Teachers want to teach on line- then they need to reduce their pay for the year by a substantial amount. Tax payers should not pay for sub standard teaching.
Currently 31 states I believe. The NFL will get the same exemption if they play.
Agree with thought on reduced pay for teachers and other public employees not working.
Sure, let’s cut the salaries of already-underpaid teachers. All they do is educate future generations of contributing members of society.
Or, let’s give them hazard pay for having to work every day around hundreds of possibly infected children and fellow teachers. And let’s provide them with enough classroom funding so they don’t have to pay for supplies using their own meager salaries.
Teachers in the metro NYC area are far from underpaid. Keep salaries as is as this certainly is not their fault. That said with all municipalities suffering financially, it’s time to renegotiate all public union contracts. Mainly the benefits including retirement which are much better than what private industries usually offer.
LOL teachers aren’t underpaid.
@metfan and @Gig, I have a number of friends who are primary and high school teachers. Teaching online from home, is WAY more difficult and harder than going into the classroom to teach. Teachers don’t want to go into the classroom because they don’t feel it is safe. Without proper protections, cleaning,
Air circulation, etc., in many municipalities, it isn’t safe. Your answer is to cut wages from the “wealthy” teachers? Wow!
Teaching online from home saves gas, morning coffee runs at the drive thru and car wear and tear. That sounds like a perfect raise for teachers while they sleep a little longer every morning. Best of everything.
I just showed I’m an environmentalist with ideas to help the climate and social distance. Besides being a genius and smarter than you, Yarp, I’m also showing my left leaning ways.
Will you be needing me to effortlessly tear your comments to shreds anytime soon? You should let others participate rather than letting me dunk on you repeatedly.
The national average teacher salary is $58,950 not including benefits and pensions which are rare in many other professions. Not to mention it is only a 10 month position. So the average income is above the $57.739 average household income in the US which includes many 2 income households and they get 2 months a year off and better benefits than most other professions and they get pensions. Poor underpaid teachers who make more than most other people.
If people were tested every day, the need for wearing a mask would be greatly reduced.
That’s over 300M tests a day, or are you just talking about MLB?
That’s dumb. I have no problem wearing a mask in walmart but I’ll be damned if I’m gonna wear a mask walking my dog in the park.
Why are sports fans so daft?
(sigh)
Just get this over with. The players must be extremely confused as to where to go right now.
i mean they’re trying to. what more do you want them to do?
Uh… actually get it done.
MEMO TO MLB AND ALL STATE HEALTH DEPTS:
14yearoldbaseballfanatic insists you “get it done.” There. That wasn’t so hard, was it?
Lake Huron rolls, Superior sings
In the rooms of her ice-water mansion
Old Michigan steams like a young man’s dreams
The islands and bays are for sportsmen
And farther below Lake Ontario
Takes in what Lake Erie can send her
And the blue jays go where the orioles blow
With no games of November remembered
With apologies to a great Canadian songwriter.
Yep, somebody send them this message.
Outstanding
Gordon’s going to punch me in the nose. That Lightfoot might have a heavy hand. Eh?
Only if you could read his mind, you rainy day person you.
I deserved that.
Player confusion is a very important issue in society right now.
Buffalo? Seems logical if they can’t work out a deal to play at Camden Yards. But will New York have them? That seems to be a sticking point.
Buffalo or somewhere that can retrofit a minor league ballpark quickly. Requiring the Jays to build a separate clubhouse and locker room on the fly seems as problematic as upgrading the lights and other facilities in a AAA park
Why would a new locker room be required? My understanding is that most minor league stadiums come equipped with locker rooms, And while the CBA may require things like massage chairs, 60 inch TVs, and professional chefs, it seems to me a few of these perks can be skipped since due to the virus going around.
Probably because they wouldn’t want them sharing the same locker room with the Orioles players. Since they would be there all the time it would make sense to add a 3rd clubhouse of sorts. Visiting team can still use theirs and it will be sanitized as teams cycle through, but having to constantly move Orioles and Blue Jays equipment in and out wouldn’t make sense.
Why a new locker room in Buffalo, like inkstain suggested?
Supposedly because for the players it’s not up to MLB standards.
They also need a good size gym and place for rehab and recovery that Buffalo again wouldn’t have up to MLB standards.
They could get all that done in Buffalo, and possibly could play away until August 11th if they just stay in Washington for 2 series. I really believe they could build everything they want, either in the parking lot or Concorse, suites.
I kinda hope they go this direction so they have a true home field. I can’t imagine the logistics of trying to work a practice schedule around another team every day, especially for those 20-30 players not traveling with the team.
At the end of the day they need to just go anywhere that will accept them. It’s getting too late to be picky
@Smokin Joe…Reread the article and his comment.
In order to play in Baltimore, they would need to build a new clubhouse, because they wouldn’t be able to share with the Orioles or the other visiting teams.
In order to play in Buffalo, there would need to be other retrofits, like lights.
Inkstain was comparing a new clubhouse in Baltimore to the retrofits in Buffalo. He was not saying Buffalo needed a new clubhouse.
Nothing compared to what the players are accustomed to.
Look for the O’s to demand Toronto’s 1st round draft pick.
Good one, but I’ll top you….they’ll share if Toronto takes on Chris Davis and all of the future financial obligations
Might be too harsh…..maybe just Alex Cobb’s contract
Draft picks are not trade-able in baseball. I would think readers of this site would know this.
That didn’t stop the O-s from their demands when the Jays were sniffing Dan Duquette.
I get that they want major league facilities, but if their clubhouse is going to be makeshift in the concourse area, wouldn’t they just be better off playing in Buffalo?
Camden yards makes perfect sense. It’s the same divisions the AL/NL East. That means the same teams coming through the city, just twice as often. For Pittsburgh it meant NL/AL Central AND the AL/NL East teams.
Hey wait a minute! You’re gonna get flagged for posting a rational, thoughtful, reasoned comment.
Book it – the Baltimore Bluejays and the Nashville Orioles will be sharing a stadium as relocation details are finalized.
While the Roman empire was falling apart, the Romans flocked to the Coliseum to watch gladiators killing each other. So where does that leave us?
Are you suggesting baseball players are trying to kill each other?
If they aren’t wearing a mask, yes.
Big, if true. Gotta a source for that? Because if all it takes is to not wear a mask to kill someone, how is anyone still alive?
My question is. Why did Canada Government take almost 30 days to have an answer. Why did they wait last minute? Maybe almost 30 days ago the blue jays could of figure this out while they were in ST camp. But seems like government waited until last minute? Talk about “caring” for their sports. What did government think that it would be like nhl? You can’t do that.
A cynic may say the Canadian National Government waited to say no so they could garner publicity and kudos from the “overabundance of caution” crowd.
Because there was actually multiple rounds of bubble plan reviews, rejections, plan revisions, & resubmission, that you don’t read about here?
They were already in a bubble literally. Couldn’t even walk outside. Not even aloud to do laundry in the hotel. So what did government think The other 29 teams be in a bubble in the U.S. the other 29 teams are allowed to live at home atleast and just get tested every other day too. Blue jays get tested every other day as well. But atleast the other 29 teams can walk outside to get fresh air.
You are asking the right question and making valid points. If it weren’t for the pandemic there is every possibility Canada would be looking at another federal election this fall. Any negative fallout pointed toward the Blue Jays would become a political point for the opposition. I don’t think the government wanted to take any chances despite being allowed back in the country and having the blessing of both local and provincial government to play. Both have been cautious with guidelines and have come down hard on 20-somethings acting a fool. Had there been an issue with baseball they would have brought it up.
Still, why days before first pitch?
If they are already playing teams like Miami and Tampa, I would say just play in Dunedin. But I don’t think it’s up to major league standards when it comes to the park itself. I was there at spring training and the new facility is amazing but fingers crossed on retrofitting buffalo asap if Baltimore falls through
I’ve not seen an article about how much “retrofitting” is necessary or who is mandating the “retrofitting.” At one time, MLB was considering playing all games at ST sites, so the facilities must be adequate. And, of course, teams play ST games on these fields.
I hope they already have Buffalo up and ready to go. The bribes of poutine and maple syrup don’t seem to be working.
I see free agency tough for any player to sign or any player to take a contract after the way it looks like the Jays players have been treated by Canada. I see it’s already hard to get any good top player sign there because it’s not in the U.S Now let alone this situation. I’m sure players are probably over thinking their Free agency? Maybe no more baseball in Toronto?
That’s a stretch, a lot of Americans right now are wishing they had the opportunity to be treated as bad as the Canadian government treats it’s citizens. End of the day they held up to the rules they have imposed and didn’t give special treatment.
The Field of Dreams field would make for great TV! I think there is already one game being played there.
Except that is in Iowa. The reasoning behind East playing East, Central/Central and West/West, was to reduce travel. Sending all of the East teams to Iowa is counter to that plan.
I sure a solution of all away games is overly simplified. I’m sure there would be scheduling issues with travel.
They’ll need to shower in Peter’s house….hope they don’t leave any smelly supporters around….
go to an nl team for less conflict in scheduling.
Hopefully the O’s will use the rent money to prepay the Davis deferals, which have Chris being paid until Barron is president.
Despite all the losing. The Orioles are a lst class organization. Doesn’t this prove it?
Don’t you mean Camden Yards/Maryland Stadium Authority? O’s don’t own the stadium.
I think they should play in Dyersville, IA.
A poster in here suggested Dunkin Donuts park in Hartford last week. Beautiful ballpark, near all of the teams the Jays will play, and the mayor of Hartford issued a formal invitation yesterday.
Don’t remember who it was, but great suggestion and exactly where I’d be targeting.
What we need is a rainout.
Blue Jays should look into Trenton, NJ as an option, if Baltimore falls through for some reason. The Yankees Double A Trenton Thunder’s home park is a nice park and within driving distance to most of their away games and to multiple airports for their games in the South East (Atlanta, Tampa Bay and Miami)
Isn’t Jersey the worst hit states and the worst state per capita? I can’t see the Jays receiving approval.
New Jersey was one of the worst hit states, bc like NY it was one of the first. We are now “in the green” and the first state to see a drop in cases two straight weeks. However, I did forget that our Governor has placed mandatory quarantine on people coming from most states. So that idea IS out. Haha