MLB, union float playing all games in empty stadiums in Arizona: report

[left-of-center2012]

Source: The Hill

Major League Baseball (MLB) could hold the entirety of the 2020 season at the Arizona Diamondbacks' stadium in Phoenix, Ariz., without any fans attending if officials go through with a plan that has reportedly been discussed by top league officials and members of the MLB players' union.

The Associated Press reported that the two groups are in talks about potential plans for the 2020 season, which is supposed to be already underway but has been delayed due to the coronavirus outbreak that has swept across the U.S. and around the world.

One of the plans being discussed involved teams meeting at Chase Field in Arizona, where a number of teams have training facilities. The stadium features an artificial turf field and retractable roof, and according to a top sports talent agent, could theoretically host up to three games per day.

“It allows for immediacy of a schedule, where you might be able to begin it and televise it, provide Major League Baseball to America,” Scott Boras, president of the Boras Corporation, told the AP. “I think players are willing to do what’s necessary because I think they understand the importance of baseball for their own livelihoods and for the interest of our country and providing a necessary product that gives all the people that are isolated enjoyment.”

Read more: https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/491485-mlb-union-float-playing-all-games-in-empty-stadiums-in-arizona

[TeamPooka]

1. Because collecting the TV rights money is all that matters.

[SheltieLover]

2. Too risky, imo

what about locker rooms?

[brewens]

7. You can show up in uniform to play like any softball team. They don't need a locker room

to play baseball. Still, no real way to play and keep any distance. Most of the time most of the players could, but not the batter and catcher, or guys on base and the infielders.

[SheltieLover]

9. True

&ump breathing down catcher's neck...



Much as I love baseball, I hope players' union puts their foot down to protect players & umps.

[mr_lebowski]

13. Set up electronic umps ... sensors, video, etc ... nt

[SheltieLover]

14. But

still what about fielders & base runners?

[mr_lebowski]

16. Didn't say I had answers for everything ;) nt

[SheltieLover]

17. lol

Just a terrifying prospect. 😢

[Ms. Toad]

43. And how many players handle the ball?

Bats?

Your'e not social distancing if an object you touch is also touched by someone else.

[former9thward]

46. That is not how the virus is transmitted.

If it is are you dumping bleach on your mail? On all your food? This stuff is getting silly.

[Ms. Toad]

50. It depends on the surface.

I don't know about baseballs, specifically - but in Ohio, after it was clear that the general public did not understand the 6' rule, Dr. Acton and Gov. DeWine expressly called out sports that share equipment (like playing pick-up basketball games and using shared playground equipment as troublesome, becuase the virus does live on many surfaces 3-5 days. You touch the virus, then touch your face, and you risk infection.

Here are a couple of examples from one of a number of substantially similar document. I didn't find a period of time for leather:

Wood
Examples: furniture, decking
4 days

Ceramics
Examples: dishes, pottery, mugs
5 days

AS to whether I'm dumping bleach on my Food or mail

Coronavirus doesn't seem to spread through exposure to food. Still, it's a good idea to wash fruits and vegetables under running water before you eat them. Scrub them with a brush or your hands to remove any germs that might be on their surface. Wash your hands after you visit the supermarket. If you have a weakened immune system, you might want to buy frozen or canned produce.

Paper
The length of time varies. Some strains of coronavirus live for only a few minutes on paper, while others live for up to 5 days.

https://www.webmd.com/lung/how-long-covid-19-lives-on-surfaces

So yes, it is one of the ways the virus is transmitted.

[former9thward]

52. There is no evidence it has been spread that way.

Just because a governor says something to justify an order does not make it so. It is reasonable that it is spread through contact sports such as football and even basketball but baseball is not that way. This is just some more from the "sports are the opiate of the masses" crowd who hates any sports period.

[Ms. Toad]

53. I believe you overlooked the reference to Dr. Acton - the well-respected doctor

who is calling the shots in Ohio.

It has nothing to do with hating sports. It has to do with restricting contact with contaminated surfaces, one of the ways the virus spreads.

[sfstaxprep]

3. And They're Going To Maintain Social Distancing?

Exactly how is that going to work?

So they won't infect the fans, only themselves?

It's a Brilliant idea!

[patphil]

18. It will require daily, full testing of the players, coaches, umpires...

and anyone else who interacts with them on the field.

It will also require a lot more than one stadium since there are 30 teams.

[aggiesal]

34. They'll be playing with masks & goggles! ...

No social distancing required if you're playing with masks & goggles.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

4. I wonder, and there really isn't a very good way of testing this,

if games played in empty stadiums will be as interesting. Even more, I wonder what it would be like to be a player, playing in an empty stadium.

[brewens]

5. Baseball is fun with no crowd. Anyone that played as a kid knows that. If they could swing it,

the players would still play hard. Make it a shorter season, or at least play a tournament of some kind.

[SunSeeker]

11. Exactly. Pretty much all youth sports are played without a crowd.

And those kids play their hearts out.

[sfstaxprep]

6. I Hear The Weather Is Comfortable In AZ During Summer Months

I'm sure all the Teams will enjoy spending a few months there.

[SunSeeker]

12. LOL

[mr_lebowski]

15. It does kinda suck, but millions of us live here and deal with it year over year ...

Everyplace has AC, including of course Chase Field.

And with only 3 games a day, players won't necessarily have to stay here all summer.

Could go up to places to Sedona when you're not playin if you don't want to have to go far. But you'll likely only play about every 6 days on average if my math is right.

[Sedona]

25. Yeah.....no

Sedona is shut down, as it should be. It has a super tiny medical infrastructure that is already almost maxed out.

Not to mention I have three daughters living there.


Everyone needs to stay the fuck at home including overpaid professional athletes.

This idea is so stupid it must have come from the fucking idiot administration.

[Maggiemayhem]

29. Definitely a dumbass selfish idea

[mr_lebowski]

38. Fair enough ... but there's lots of mtn towns in AZ and not THAT many ball players

Probably a lot of those towns would love the income.

I'm not saying I'm 'all for this' or anything only saying 'it may be workable, not sure'.

[left-of-center2012]

31. The Arizona Diamondbacks have played there since 1998

They compete in Major League Baseball as a member of the National League West division.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arizona_Diamondbacks

[RhodeIslandOne]

44. Chase Field has a retractable roof and AC

A lot of these other ballparks would not.

[Bengus81]

41. Yup...117 in the shade is real comfy

[former9thward]

47. It is 450 in your oven.

So what? Everything has a/c. It is very comfortable.

[Moostache]

8. Trying to "save" a season by making it unrecognizable?

It is trying too hard to pretend the situation is less dire than it is...and seeing baseball played on TV in front of empty stands is only going to make the lack of crowds, stadiums, hot dogs and beers in an outdoor stadium only feel MORE acutely missing than LESS...

Professional sports is as much about communal experience as it is the games and the results...yes, some of us obsess over box scores and stats, but in the context of the game or as a diversion at the park...

[patphil]

19. Japan recently held a major Sumo tournament in an empty stadium.

It's their national sport, and I think they were very happy to have it happen.
I think this is a good idea for baseball.
People will miss the immediacy of being there, but I think we need a bit of a lift in these dire times.

[BumRushDaShow]

27. Yup and guess what?

Japan to declare state of emergency over coronavirus pandemic

By Will Ripley and James Griffiths, CNN

Updated 1:20 AM ET, Tue April 7, 2020

Tokyo (CNN)Much of Japan will enter a state of emergency Tuesday, as the country struggles to rein in the coronavirus pandemic, months after the first domestic cases were reported.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said that "basic economic activity" will continue in Tokyo, Kanagawa, Saitama, Chiba, Osaka, Hyogo and Fukuoka, the seven affected prefectures, with public transport and supermarkets remaining open, but urged people to exercise social distancing and avoid unnecessary trips.

The state of emergency, which is expected to be formally announced at a press conference Tuesday, will last for approximately one month. The declaration comes as Japan reported 252 new cases of the coronavirus and seven more deaths Monday, bringing the total number of infections to over 4,600, with 91 deaths.

Abe has faced criticism for not activating emergency measures earlier, as experts warned the true number of cases could be far higher than the official statistics suggest, due to a lack of widespread testing.

https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/07/asia/japan-coronavirus-state-of-emergency-intl-hnk/index.html

So let's just do what Japan and Hong Kong did and throw some more dry fuel on the simmering ashes.

[former9thward]

48. Where is the evidence that one happened because of the other?

I guess the virus has killed logic also.

[BumRushDaShow]

54. How about common sense?

[rpannier]

10. ...for the interest of our country

In what way is baseball in the interest of the country?

[stopbush]

22. The same way movies, the arts and all other forms of entertainment/diversion are of interest.

Without them, what is left that is interesting, let alone of interest?

[former9thward]

49. More people watch baseball than watch politics.

So yes it is in the interest of the country. What do you watch or do? Is that in "the interest of the country"?

[melm00se]

55. reflect on this

?t=80

pick it up at the 1:20 mark...this sums it up as to why baseball is important.

While I am sure there will be some who will pick on the words but focus on the sentiment which can be summed up with this one sentence

"It (baseball) reminds us of all that once was good, and it could be again."

[Mr.Bill]

20. Never forget

that long before a single fan came to watch, before a single ticket was ever sold, men got together on a field and played a game. It could revitalize the game and reinvent the sport.

[stopbush]

21. New Rule #1: no more spitting.

We'll see how far that goes.

[aggiesal]

35. They should play with masks. N95 at least. n/t

[Marcuse]

23. This is an opportunity for MLB to market new uniform designs. Oakland Athletics pictured.

?itok=Gsg7F2vC

[Brother Buzz]

39. I understand they are even working on a portable ventilator

[olddad65]

24. I guess the catcher won't be the only player wearing a mask.

[duforsure]

26. Unless they all are tested including all additional people needed to do everything

Umpires and ground crews, techs for broadcasting, everyone needs to be completely tested with precautions, or they too will spread it with that many people out and involved causing more people to have it. I don't think they would do that , so no. They need to wait another 3-4 weeks or more to decide, not now its to early.

[Maggiemayhem]

30. There is still a dire shortage of test and a up to two week period for results

[crickets]

40. Also test everyone they come into contact with in between games, right?

It's just unworkable.

Stations could get creative about showing old World Series games, show the thrilling countdown games to Cal Ripken breaking Lou Gehrig's record for consecutive games played, pick a famous popular player and spend a few nights running the best games of their career over the years, then pick another one - yes we know how it ends, we know who wins, but it still would be better than nothing.

These people are building castles in the air and really isn't about the game. It's about money. It's always money.
Disgusting.

[BamaRefugee]

28. By the All Star break, the disabled list for the league will be a mile long

[DBoon]

32. They could still sell seats

Just put a webcam at each seat and sell access to view the game from that location

[WhiskeyGrinder]

33. Oh my god I would love this.

[Tom Rinaldo]

36. Not a bad potential plan assuming the U.S. will not or can not be in total lock down for six months

I am reserving judgement on it for now. Eventually the lock down will need to be relaxed where ever circumstances allow for it (that's a key variable). Professional athletes are in better overall health than the average population with fewer underlying conditions, they are younger and few are seriously overweight. Baseball is less of a contact sport than most sports, and players usually are not in close proximity. Batters and runners could even wear face masks.

While not in any way an essential activity, ball games provide mass entertainment for tens of millions of viewers who can safely consume that programming in the safety of their own homes. It might help offset increased depression rates. There would be need to be constant monitoring of player health, but one or two testing machines located in Arizona could provide that.

[LudwigPastorius]

37. So, no spitting allowed, but scratching your junk is still OK?

I mean, there are traditions to uphold.

[sarcasmo]

42. MLB in denial.

[Initech]

45. Just call off the 2020 season.

Seriously, there's no point in it with no fans in the stands. There just isn't. I'd personally rather have no games than no fans. Watching games with no fans has been the freakiest thing ever, and not enjoyable at all.

Fuck this stupid piece of shit virus. It has literally ruined everything.

[OAITW r.2.0]

51. NASCAR has figured it out.

Why not MLB, NBA, and NFL? Couldn't EA figure out how to field a team of players to play online?

OK, the concept is a lot more complicated when teams/roles are needed, but this would still give the fans something to watch and root for.