Despite MLB discussing a potential plan that would let baseball be played in 2020, it is a scenario that wouldn’t bring justice to the 2020 season.
Last week, Major League Baseball (MLB) came out with its latest attempt to salvage the 2020 season. In an effort to “flatten the curve,” it was proposed that all teams would return to their spring training sites in Florida and Arizona. Regular-season games would occur in only those two states with no attendance and teams would remain in their respective spring training divisions.
While the idea may appeal to Americans desperate for a sports fix, there are way too many issues that will prevent this plan from succeeding.
The first question that comes to mind is where will minor league teams play? And no, we cannot simply eliminate them and proceed with business as usual. This year, big leaguers would be coming off the longest offseason since 1994. The potential for injury will be greater than ever. So who gets called upon when players start dropping like flies?
Now, during a time of crisis, the league that adopted an unwritten pitching limit for injury prevention is turning its back on its principles.
Furthermore, teams are not going to able to make trades if “flattening the curve” is truly the objective here. How does the league expect the season to go on if there can be no player movement? It’s simply not possible.
This is just the tip of the iceberg. What will be the quarantine rules for players? Will teammates be able to socialize? Can players leave their state in the case of an emergency? And most importantly what happens if someone contracts the virus? These questions, on top of the issue of player movement, are all things the MLB needs to revisit.
Logistically, this proposal presents too many obstacles. I applaud the MLB for their efforts and hope that better options are discussed in the coming weeks. But based on the outlook of baseball’s latest attempt, it’s not looking too good.