by Tony Genualdo
With the NBA, NCAA, NHL, MLS, and newly-formed XFL all suspending or cancelling their seasons this past week, there was only a slight chance that the MLB could be ready for Opening Day weekend at the end of March. But following MLB’s announcement that the remainder of Spring Training games had been cancelled and the start of the 2020 season will be delayed by at least two weeks, that hope has faded.
“This action is being taken in the interests of the safety and well-being of our players, clubs and our millions of loyal fans,” the league said in a statement. “MLB will continue to evaluate ongoing events leading up to the start of the season. Guidance related to daily operations and workouts will be relayed to clubs in the coming days.”
The “guidance” changed a lot over the course of three days. Starting on Friday, the players were faced with three options: remain at their respected spring training facilities, report to their team’s home city, or go to their own homes. The New York Yankees voted unanimously to stay at their facility in Tampa, Florida.
But on Sunday, the MLB sent out a memo telling clubs to cease all activities. This was following the announcement by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – which recommended that organizers “cancel or postpone in-person events that consist of 50 people or more throughout the United States” for the next 8 weeks.
The 8-week delay could see baseball start up again in the early weeks of May. But it still may not happen. According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, two MLB executives say that there is a chance that the season might be delayed until at least Memorial Day on May 25. If this is an indication of anything, a full 162-game season is highly unlikely at this point.
To make matters worse, the first positive case of coronavirus hit the baseball world on Sunday. An unnamed prospect in the Yankees’ farm system tested positive and has been in quarantine since Friday morning, according to General Manager Brian Cashman. The player was not in contact with anyone in the major league complex or at George M. Steinbrenner Field, according to the team spokesman.
The question now is what the MLB will do next. A conference call is scheduled for Monday at noon to provide updates to clubs and may result in more changes to help prevent the spread of the virus within the league.
