A Possible Baseball Season Unlike Any Before

AP

Major League Baseball considers playing entire season in isolation in Arizona

The last Major League Baseball (MLB) game was played 170 days ago when the Washington Nationals defeated the Houston Astros in Game 7 of the World Series. Ever since then, MLB has seen blockbuster trades, dramatic changes in free agency and nearly 20 Spring Training games for each organization. What has yet to occur is the start of the 2020 MLB regular season. 

Amidst the cancellation of all major sports due to the coronavirus outbreak, last week offered a glimpse of hope that baseball may soon return.

On Monday, April 6, ESPN journalist Jeff Passan reported that MLB is considering a start to the regular season as early as May. The hypothetical plan has all 30 teams quarantined in Arizona while playing games in empty stadiums. Even though the Diamondbacks are the only MLB team that resides in Arizona, there are 10 other spring training facilities where games could be played.  

The Arizona-based games would feature an electronic strike zone to give umpires a sufficient distance from the catcher and batter, seven-inning doubleheaders to allow teams to play as many games as possible, regular use of players with microphones to enhance the game’s content on TV, and teams sitting in the stands–six feet apart to maintain the recommended social-distancing space–rather than in a dugout.

After the rumor was reported by Passan, MLB issued a statement regarding the potential of starting the season in May.

“MLB has been actively considering numerous contingency plans that would allow play to commence once the public health situation has improved to the point that it is safe to do so,” the statement said.  

There are numerous hurdles for MLB to cross in order to have their season begin in the near future, if at all. In order to have games be played anywhere in North America, MLB would need the approval of high-ranking federal public health officials before the league can properly operate during the pandemic.  

Even though the proposed plan to resume MLB is purely speculation, players and team officials all have a singular goal in common: playing baseball.  

“I want us to be part of the solution, not the problem,” an anonymous American League (AL) starting pitcher said. “I miss baseball, and I want to play baseball. When I think about being isolated for four to five months [in Arizona] without being able to see my family, I don’t think that would go through at all, personally.”

Another pitcher weighed in. 

“Look, I’m not saying this [plan] wouldn’t be a positive,” they said. “But if it’s not safe for us to be anywhere off the field except for a hotel, then it’s probably not safe to play games.” 

It is evident that even though players and officials all want to play, there are obvious health and travel concerns that are more important than baseball. The availability of testing, the transportation to and from the fields and hotels, as well as the isolation needed from each player, coach and other team personnel are being brought into question from the rest of the sports world. 

Because there won’t be any fans in attendance, this decision will most likely fall on the players’ shoulders.

“Honestly, I’m not OK with being separated from my family in the middle of a pandemic,” said one AL reliever. 

“You get into these certain scenarios just to play, and then at the end of the day, is it worth it?” another reliever said. “We have [several] coaches who are more than 70 years old. I don’t want to play if it’s putting one of them in jeopardy.” 

In addition to getting the okay from health officials, MLB players and executives would need to be on board with the plan. Quarantining from families, staying in one hotel, and playing in a single state is asking a lot from players and team employees. 

Getting back into regular season shape is also another challenge players would have to overcome.  

“To ramp up that quickly, there is going to be a ton of arm injuries,” an AL starting pitcher said.  “You need games to build up–one inning, two innings, three innings, four innings. If we were to have Opening Day on May 15, I would want to be building back up in-game scenarios by next week. That’s not going to happen.”

There are many obstacles that come with this proposed plan, but the players and officials both want to get the MLB regular season underway.

The one thing that is standing in their way, along with the rest of sports, is a worldwide pandemic. MLB can offer varied plans for a regular season, but only time will tell if, or when, we will see baseball be played this spring.