Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association have spent considerable time negotiating a postseason “bubble” format in recent weeks, and it appears the two sides are moving toward a deal — although some notable hurdles remain in place. USA Today’s Bob Nightengale writes that the Rangers’ Globe Life Field would host the World Series and the NLCS under the currently proposed format, while San Diego’s Petco Park would be in line to host the ALCS. The ALDS would take place in two NL parks: Dodger Stadium and Petco Park. The ALDS would be split between Globe Life Park and Houston’s Minute Maid Park. That alignment of games played would allow all series to be held at neutral sites.
As was the case with negotiations on a return to play and on this year’s expanded postseason format, however, talks between the two sides haven’t been seamless. The league is seeking to adopt similar health-and-safety protocols to those in the NBA and the NHL, which would require some strict guidelines for the family members of players — specifically, a seven-day quarantine prior to entering the bubble. That has been met with some pushback from players.
Dodgers union rep Justin Turner voiced his disapproval of the notion to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal this week, pointing to the number of successful games played throughout the season and minimal outbreaks that were due to “poor choices by individuals.” The quarantine for family members would represent a departure from in-season protocols, as Turner points out, noting that he’s spent the entire season with his family when home. The New York Post’s Joel Sherman wrote yesterday that Turner and the Dodgers aren’t alone in their belief that the proposed protocols for family are too stringent; other clubs are similarly resistant to the notion.
The league’s current proposal would even see contending clubs who finish the season playing at home isolating at hotels for seven days leading up to the playoffs rather than spending them at home. Family members would have the option of quarantining over that same period and then entering the bubbles after the Wild Card round of play. Alternatively, they could quarantine at a later date and enter the bubble beginning with the LCS round of play.
There’s still time for the two sides to align on an agreement, but it’s not a surprise to see MLB borrowing from what have been successful bubble formats in other sports — particularly given that reports have indicated the postseason could generate upwards of $800MM in television revenue (including a reported $200-300MM in additional revenue thanks to the expanded format). The 2020 playoff expansion included a $50MM pool for the players, representing a departure from the typical player pool, which is driven by gate but not television revenue.
Hey Justin Turner: your comments help no one. Get out of the way of obvious solutions.
What part of his comments offend you? He’s right. The system is working and will work even better with less teams and without immense travel. Why would a player not be able to see his family for a month. They do it right now with a million more chances to get Covid. You can hate Justin Turner if you want, but take a second, read and think!
Who says a player can’t see family for a month?
This calls for a 7 day quarantine of family and then the family is allowed into the bubble.
Look, it hasn’t been widely reported, but, we’ve had a BUNCH of games cancelled for 3 or 4 days awaiting test results, and, it appears Turner has his facts mixed up if every one of those I stances was because of an individual”s poor choices.
The postseason runs on tight timeframes. You can’t just skip games and add them to the end.
The stakes are high, and you push back EVERYTHING all the way to the world series each time one team has one individual triggering a delay/cancellation.
Players made most of their money in the regular season, while clubs brought in almost nothing. Of course players DGAF, of course, they’ll care more this offsets on when nobody gets money in contracts
So with this bubble format would we have to wait a week for the next series to begin? That doesn’t seem right. Too much down time.
I’m sorry, the system is working? How many teams have had to move or cancel games because someone got COVID? The Braves have played 46 games so far and no other team in their division has played more than 42, with the Marlins a full seven games behind at 39. The Cardinals have only played 37 games compared to the Cubs at 45. Every division has weird, several game differences between the teams, which is going to either result in an abundance of doubleheaders or outright cancelations of games.
It hasn’t been a complete disaster, but to say it’s ‘working’ is utterly incorrect.
Seems like it’s gotten a bit better recently though.
Seems like it’s worked fine unless you expected zero issues from the start. Frankly, after the initial couple weeks when they made more restrictions, it’s been working very well IMO
It is working. You think players wouldnt take the small chance they get the virus, and an even smaller chance they’re actually sick so they sleep in their own beds and be with their family? This has clearly worked. It was expected to get positive tests. That being said, playoffs should probably be in a bubble just to keep things moving
And it will work even better in a bubble, which the NBA and NHL have proved and MLB has noticed.
and you jinxed it
I’m not taking the bait and getting involved in silly back and forth, bluesteele. I just think Turner sounded like a bozo so I said so.
If any players complain about a playoff bubble then they don’t really want to be in the playoffs and should go home. It’s honestly just not asking a lot of them.
Turner’s comments definitely warrant a discussion. He makes a great and heartfelt point.
Really? Has it occurred to Justin and the others, who just can’t be inconvenienced by a quarantine, that the entire NBA agreed to it and it just might be one of the main reasons they’ve managed to stay Covid free??
Has it occurred to you that some MLB players believe it’s ok to have a semblance of normalcy? You and I might disagree with them, but it’s understandable some players want that.
Has it occurred to Justin Turner that some people relocate to faraway countries to fight wars? How bad does he really think he has it? A few weeks in a bubble for fat paychecks?
He can shut his mouth yesterday
It’s obvious you’re jealous of the money ballplayers make, but what does fighting wars have to do with any of this?
wild bill.. Who in their right minds are looking at any of this with the idea of “normalcy”? In case you and Justin haven’t noticed, normalcy went out the window last March. This is about how to effectively have a safe post season, not cater to any small group of player’s personal whims. It was fine with the entire NBA and there’s no reason it shouldn’t be fine for Mr. Turner.
I agree, process they’ve been using has worked…ish but the likely reasoning other than profit drive is that their families will soon have children back in school and the playoffs are in the fall, when a mix of Covid and influenza cases are all but guaranteed to be on the rise…putting the players at a greater risk, and threatening any hope of the playoffs
Turner said nothing wrong. He’s free to speak as much as you are free to side with Manfred.
good to know his opinions dont matter
Well I’m a Cardinals fan and I’d argue it hasn’t been so smooth. They’ve played without some of their top guys for a good chunk of games in a short season and had games canceled which puts them in a tough spot having to make them up. How does he have any idea those positive test were due to poor choices? It only takes one undetected to cause a domino affect in the clubhouse
Are you telling me Dr. Zaius can’t stay away from Ape City for three to four weeks?
If they opt to not do a bubble, I think they should at least adopt a rule that no games are postponed due to COVID. If you’re unable to field a team, you forfeit the game. Anybody who breaks protocol with that sort of penalty looming doesn’t deserve to be on the roster of a playoff team.
Give them the a 60 player pool of a squad and b squad. BUT, if you need to delay for testing, all of a squad gets to sit and b squad needs to play the games.
Yea well what about if one team member gets it, then odds are someone else has it
Or just play with the players who didn’t test positive. Probably what the NFL will do since they can’t exactly make up games or play doubleheader’s.
It’s all fun and games until someone gets hurt.
So what happens in the playoffs if there’s an outbreak?
You just keep playing with whatever you have?
You suspend the series?
Yes. It’s a weird and tainted year anyway. All these special rules and unfair schedules will forever leave a question to whoever wins the WS. At this point just play. It is what it is and at least there is some form of baseball.
I get the reasoning behind the bubble idea but this just makes the playoff format even worse. The justification behind the expanded field, best-of-3 format was “don’t worry, the top seeds will get to host all 3 games.” Now the top seeds won’t host *any* games.
Perhaps it won’t matter, but we are only a year removed from a postseason that saw the World Series Champion lose 2 of their first 3 playoff games. 2020 is a mess.
With no fans home field is meaningless. The only thing you need is last-licks.
You’re also forcing the home team to be on the road and play in an unfamiliar ballpark. It’s more than just fans and who bats last. Moreover, the idea was “we realize we’re screwing the top seeds so we’ll give them every advantage we can.” Now there’s virtually none. MLB touted the home field advantage idea long after we already knew there’d be no fans.
You’re also forcing the home team to be on the road and play in an unfamiliar ballpark. It’s more than just fans and who bats last. Moreover, the idea was “we realize this hurts the top seeds so we’ll give them every advantage we can.” Now there’s virtually none. Plus, MLB touted the home field advantage idea long after we already knew there’d be no fans.
I find the best of three for every seed in the first round more of an issue than anything. Why even bother winning the division or being the best overall? You can be the best team over 60 yet get an underperformer and get wiped out. Take the Yankees, for example. The top seed will probably get them, who will probably have most of their players back. They could be a real tough out.
In my opinion, the eighth seed should be playing more playoff games than the first. .
Home field without fans is NOT meaningless.
Do you think a NYY team built to take advantage of the short right porch wouldn’t get a benefit?
What about a SF giants team geared towards the expansive OF?
I’d mention Boston and their monster in left, but they are watching from home for a while.
Teams that play half their games at home DO build rosters taking into account maximizing their unique home advantages.
It’s not just about knuckleheads yelling in the seats.
Someone should tell Yankees that one because that offense has been awful
Balls are flying out everywhere so a short right porch is not that big of a deal. The Yankees don’t even have many lefty bats and the big guys that hit the other way are on the IL.
Believe it or not, Fenway’s Green Monster takes away more HRs than it gives up. Sure there are some cheap HRs that would be fly-outs in other parks but so many hard hit balls that are out of the other 29 parks bounce off the wall and runners are held to a single or double. Fenway is never in the Top 10 of HRs allowed. It’s usually in the 15-18 range.
I’m curious as to why the AL teams are set to play the ALCS in a national league park and vice versa. I know the Rangers stadium is new but shouldn’t the leagues play in parks they would normally play in anyway?
Nats did not lose 2 of the first 3 playoff games last year. They won the wild card and split games 1-2 with LA.
From the original source linked above:
The playoff will open with the three division winners and the team with the next-best record in each league hosting a best-of-three series. If the postseason started Thursday, the Tampa Bay Rays, Oakland Athletics, Chicago White Sox and Cleveland Indians would host the first round in the AL. The Los Angeles Dodgers, Atlanta Braves, Chicago Cubs, and the San Diego Padres would host the NL first-round games.
The bubble only affects the next 3 rounds.
ATLSox makes a valid point even IF someone can demonstrate that Yankees park is a non factor to the Yankees bats. There’s 29 other parks and teams do consider their home parks when they construct rosters.
It’s reasonable considering in a normal season you play their for 80 games but play less than 20 even among teams in your own division. Players also get more familiar to their home parks which counts for something as well. Also, there’s a reason why teams typically have better home records compared to away records.
I guess the nl doesn’t play alds for all parks
Assuming a typo for NLDS
Why not do the entire playoffs in Phoenix using spring training sites? One location, one bubble.
Even if the stadium is empty, players are going to prefer full stadium quality facilities and owners will want to showcase their biggest event of the year in the best venues they have. Plus the logistics of hosting 16 teams in one city become more cumbersome.
Because players are too good and too important to play at little ole spring training fields
Why go from playing in MLB stadiums, to practice fields? Makes no sense at all.
Because there is a global pandemic and everyone needs to adjust to it, including athletes. The NBA players went from playing at their courts to playing at Orlando so why can’t MLB players?
Turner is correct. Not necessary. Teams that have built in good protocols—Dodgers, Yankees, Cubs, etc.—have not experienced outbreaks. There are clear working models rolled out by individual teams. Once you’re down to the Championship Series and World Series, the teams involved are few. A bubble format is not going to significantly reduce the chance of an outbreak if the Dodgers—to name one team—play in L.A. or Texas.
So Turner is correct does that mean Canada is just pure racist country?They kept the Blue Jays out because they are POC? They give people they love starlight tours
Why you’d bother asking that silly question is baffling.
Why is Justin Turner okay with Toronto Blue Jays lives being disrupted longer? People talking about home advantage well Toronto has been the road team every game this season. Darkside830 your bigotry is showing!!!
no, but your comment proves you are a fool
This is the only way the Rangers were gonna host the world series
Does the ‘home’ team at minute maid park get trash cans?
Top 5 Bubbles of All Time:
1. Double Bubble
2. BioSphere 2
3. BioSphere 1
4. Bubble Bobble
5. Boy in the Plastic Bubble
Sorry, but “Mr. Bubble” belongs on this list, at least for nostalgia’s sake…
I thought long and he’s about Mr. Bubble but here’s my issue. It was good, not great. It over promised and under delivered. At times you’d need an entire bottle to achieve the foamy goodness that was promised by the manufacturer. Bubble Boy from Seinfeld comes in 6th and Mr. Bubble comes in a distant 7th
Well, comments well considered… but why would you even consider using anything less than an entire bottle??
You forgot BioDome with Pauly Shore
Double double toil and trouble/Fire burn and cauldron bubble.
new extra innings rule – Shakespeare trivia
Seinfeld’s Bubble Boy should be on this list too. An all time classic!
You missed the greatest bubble of all time – Mr Bubble!!
Bubblicious deserves better
It does take away the one true home field advantage; you get to sleep in your own bed at night. (That’s true for at least some players). Most of the players I’ve heard think the advantage goes away with the first pitch.
Let the higher seed bat last; that’s fair. Besides that, bubble-em.
Would all the cardboard fans be transported to the neutral sites?
Phony fans making phony noise in a phony season.
The only reason this schtick continues is gambling.
Shut. It. Down.
Gambling or fake fans?
So not only do we get a brand new shed, but we also get to host the WS, and get Kumar Rocker? Nice.
Yeah, maybe he can help your team as much as David Clyde did.
Does MLB realize teams often build their rosters either through the draft or more importantly free agency based upon the dimensions and tangibles of their ballparks trying to gain more home field advantages. I don’t know why teams are not objecting to playing their playoff games in another teams park. It seems the teams in those four cities would have an unfair advantage over the other playoff teams.
teams build their rosters on who the best players are. if they didnt then they would never do all that well on the road and probably not go very far in the playoffs
This MLB plan is terrible. Its not a bubble when you are playing at 4 different stadiums in less than one month. Its so obvious they should be playing in teams home stadiums.
I completely disagree with Turner on this. It’s a month, and most teams will be eliminated within the first ten days. Games cannot be delayed or cancelled.
If this is a dealbreaker for him, he can just opt-out of the postseason.
They need to wrap it up. All it takes is one little guy to squirm through and bam, the postseason is on pause, and the MLB is a laughing stock.
home field advantage is a such a joke. if you are good enough to call yourself a world series champ you should be able to beat any opponent anywhere as long as all other conditions are fair. cant beat a playoff team on the road? time for you to hit the road.
“The ALDS would be split between Globe Life Park and Houston’s Minute Maid Park.” I assume this is supposed to say NLDS. The idea makes a lot of sense to me. A COVID outbreak during the playoffs would be devastating to an already surreal regular season.
The NBA/NHL players agree to bubbles to ensure they’d get the post season completed with much less risk of delay/cancellation.
Would seem MLB players see themselves as being “extra special ” or is it a case of a minority of players speaking out against and the others just going along so not to rock the boat .
The MLBPA may be royally shooting themselves in the foot here .
With no fans and players still making 100% of pay for games that took place , the owners took the brunt for the lost revenue from fans for those 60 games.
Even now maybe small./midsize teams will likely try and cut further costs ( salaries) in the off-season.
Think Mid/low tier performance guys hitting 2nd/3rd yr arb, team options not being picked up etc.
This extra supply of players on the market will suppress FA salaries for all other then the upper crust .
Think what will happen if the post season gets cancelled because of an outbreak and the players rejected the bubble idea.The loss of all that revenue to owners will result in even more Non-tendered/DFA and team options not being picked up, even more of a mid/lower tier supply of players on the market further suppressing FA salaries.
I can see 2 trends developing here.
1- The glaringly obvious one between MLB and MLBPA- enjoy 2020/2021 boys and girls.
Unless Manfred and Clark are replaced unlikely we’ll see much of a 2022 season.
2- The upper echelon of players will always get paid it’s the middle/bottom tier that will take the hit in lower AAV salaries/shorter contracts etc, Eventually this will lead to a rift in the MLBPA between the have’s and the have not’s .
The bubble format could work during the playoffs. It just wasn’t feasible for baseball due to the ballpark, the games played etc. NBA can play on any regulation sized court indoors. NHL can skate on any regulation sized rink indoors. Baseball? That’s a bit tricky. Plus every team plays 5-7 games in a week. NBA and NHL see roughly 3-4.
MLB postseason shrinks to 16 teams. This helps if using 3 or 4 hub cities with two ballparks. They have to factor possible rainouts which would set things back.
I don’t even want to think of the possibilities of anything less, or the upcoming offseason right now. Ugh…
Better than no baseball
The bubble thing is so dumb. I hope they nix this idea. Yes there’s less travel but at the end of the day theres only 4 real candidates for the world series at this point.
Braves
Dodgers
Rays
Twins
Rays vs Braves would be fun
Dodgers vs Rays
Dodgers vs Twins (Kenta Maeda vs Kershaw )
Rich Hill vs Walker Ferris Buehler
As long as the Yankees don’t make the playoffs its a win even if for me the cubs don’t win.
Theres a high chance Yu Darvish the NL Cy Young
So the so-called window being shut for the Cubs is nonsense.
Tatis Jr NL MVP
Trout AL MVP(that goes without saying there’s no other worthy candidate for the AL.
I really hope MLB or the players don’t trip over themselves. The NBA and NHL have literally provided perfect blueprints of how a bubble postseason should be handled in every way.
I do not believe that Manfred, Clark, and whoever else are going to be able to top what the NBA and NHL have brilliantly accomplished. It couldn’t have been tee’d up for them any more perfectly, so here’s hoping they make it easy.
Faux season with a faux title attached to it. Cancel it already.
Shut up idiot