NEWS: Major League Baseball and the MLBPA are focusing on a plan backed by federal health officials that could have players in training camps by May and games soon thereafter.
Details at ESPN on how MLB may return — and the difficulty in doing so: https://t.co/zDoNa3k4pm
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) April 7, 2020
SOURCE – Major League Baseball and its players are increasingly focused on a plan that could allow them to start the season as early as May and has the support of high-ranking federal public health officials who believe the league can safely operate amid the coronavirus pandemic, sources told ESPN.
Though the plan has a number of potential stumbling blocks, it has emerged above other options as the likeliest to work and has been embraced by MLB and MLB Players Association leadership, who are buoyed by the possibility of baseball’s return and the backing of federal officials, sources said.
The plan, sources said, would dictate all 30 teams play games at stadiums with no fans in the greater Phoenix area, including the Arizona Diamondbacks’ Chase Field, 10 spring training facilities and perhaps other nearby fields. Players, coaching staffs and other essential personnel would be sequestered at local hotels, where they would live in relative isolation, and travel only to the stadium and back, sources said.
A Passan BOMB! (working nickname)
Love it! Need it! I’ll do anything for sports to be back and it seems like baseball is actually going all in. I understand the apprehension from people and can’t fathom how tough it’ll be for the players to go from hotel, baseball game, back to hotel for 4.5 months on top of not seeing your family. But this is the first step back to healing the nation. The nation doesn’t heal until sports are back. Simple as that. I know what you’re thinking. It’s selfish to think about it when we just crossed the 1 million mark for positive Corona cases, but if we can get sports back ASAP it will be a tremendous positive for the country. I understand if religion or a routine is what makes you feel a sense of calm and happiness. Mine is sports. Being able to watch your favorite team, your favorite players, and feel emotion is therapeutic. Think about the fact you can just let your mind run free for three hours.
There’s a lot of logistics that still need to be ironed out, but during the same week where cases of Corona are expected to spike it’s great to hear good news for a change. I feel like every time I turn on my TV the stock market line is red going south, more people are dying the current day then the previous, and the government is fighting. Look back on 9/11 and the Boston Marathon bombings as two events that baseball helped heal. Those tragedies were silo’d around a city that everyone embraced. This pandemic is global, and we all know someone who is affected by it. I hope the MLB is able to get this plan in order soon so we can take our mind off the world around us for a couple hours each night. Baseball has proven it heals in times of fear and uncertainty and their isn’t a sport I’d choose more to unite us against another enemy.
