Baseball
Add news
News

Rushing the Start of the Season Would Be a Mistake

0 4

If the New York Mets were set to play their Opening Day tomorrow, there is no doubt that the entire fan base would be filled with excitement.

On Tuesday night, Mets fans flooded Twitter to simply watch the SNY booth of Gary Cohen, Keith Hernandez and Ron Darling call a simulated game of MLB the Show. Just getting to hear those three interact gave us all a glimpse of the usual summertime programming we have missed so much over the last couple of weeks.

While it would be great to hear them call a game for real, that is not a reality that should be pursued at all costs.

This week, a proposed plan by the MLB has been floated about potentially opening the season in May, relocated the entirety of baseball’s operations to the Phoenix area.

Jeff Passan of ESPN reported that the MLB and the MLBPA are currently contemplating the logistics of sending all 30 MLB teams to play the season in Arizona. The idea would be to limit travel by using the 10 spring training facilities of the Cactus League, as well as the Diamondbacks home ballpark, Chase Field.

This could be a way to isolate all the players, coaches, umpires and any other essential personal in local hotels, where they would only travel to and from the ballpark. Reports indicate that federal officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as well as the National Institutes of Health are open to a plan that would follow strict isolation and social distancing standards, while allowing the MLB to get their  season underway.

On the surface, this idea is intriguing because it would get the season started in short order. With all teams based in one place, travel days would no longer be required and the MLB could get close to their previously reported target of playing 140 games. They are also flirting with the idea of playing seven-inning double headers to squeeze more games into the truncated schedule, while expanding rosters to account for the extra play.

For this plan to actually work, it would require complete commitment from everyone involved and a tremendous amount of good fortune, as coronavirus concerns continues to cast a shadow over all of these plans. The only way this could be implemented is if there were an ample supply of COVID-19 testing kits, that could frequently be used to prohibit the spread of the virus at all times.

There would likely be a two-to-three week training camp period, where the protocols of testing and isolation plans could be put in place before the season officially began. If everything goes off without a hitch, this could be a fantastic way to jumpstart the season.

Still, due to the curtain state of the pandemic, the MLB would basically be walking a tightrope where they could be shut down at any time if things got out of control.

Another huge roadblock in beginning the season under these conditions is getting the players on board to move to Arizona for months, where they could be separated from their families and playing baseball in scorching hot desert temperatures.

Mark Fischer of the New York Post spoke with some players about this potential plan and it appears there are mixed feelings amongst the group. Under the condition of anonymity, a current Met voiced his concerns about playing the season in Arizona.

“That’s hell” the Met said, “I mean we’re talking 120 degrees every day and playing weekly doubleheaders and 20 days straight,”

Getting all of the players to sign up for such a drastic plan is going to be a massive hurdle for the MLB to overcome and one that is not going to be achieved overnight.

Even if the MLB and the MLBPA come to terms on an agreement to resume the season, they still have to answer the most important question of all. Is it socially responsible to prioritize the start of the baseball season at this time?

Officials from the Arizona Department of Health Services reported that there are currently over 2,500 cases in the state as of Tuesday. Although that number is far less than the state of New York (where there are well over 100,000 cases), it is not insignificant.

Meanwhile consumer investigations reporter Robert Anglem of the Arizona Republic, recently wrote an article which spoke to local concerns over a lack of data being provided by the state regarding the coronavirus.

Apparently the state is providing broad numbers including the total number of cases, deaths, tests given and positive results, but are withholding information on case totals by zip code. Anglem reported that Pinal County officials are filing a lawsuit against the Arizona Department of Health Services for not publishing such data to show where COVID-19 is spreading throughout the state.

The Chicago Cubs and the Oakland Athletics both have spring training facilities located in Pinal County.

Since reports about Major League Baseball’s “Arizona Plan” have come to light, league officials have been clear that nothing is imminent and they are simply exploring their options for how to begin the season as soon possible. They also believe a June start date is more realistic than opening the season in May.

We all want to watch the Mets play baseball again as soon as possible. At the same time, it is important that the health and safety of everyone involved is taken into account before rushing the start of this season. Because there are more important things in life than the 2020 MLB season.

Загрузка...

Comments

Комментарии для сайта Cackle
Загрузка...

More news:

Read on Sportsweek.org:

South Side Sox
Razzball
Mets Merized Online

Other sports

Sponsored