MLB owners propose starting baseball in July

[Auggie]

Source: NBC

Baseball took a step Monday to become the first major team sport to return to business after the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the Associated Press, Major League Baseball owners approved a proposal to the players’ union which could put the game back on the field around the Fourth of July, with each team playing an 82-game schedule.

The proposal includes starting games in stadiums without fans, and would start “spring training” in mid-June. Teams were already in spring training when the sports world shut down in March.

The proposal also includes some non-health-related issues, including expanding the designated hitter to the National League, expanding rosters to around 30, and doubling the number of wild card teams to create a 14-team postseason.

Read more: https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2020/05/11/mlb-owners-propose-starting-baseball-in-july/

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I'll be surprised. We're going to see a spike in COVID-19 cases in states that lifted quarantine too soon. Should be right around the corner.

[bucolic_frolic]

1. Fans will pay for tickets with ....

I.O.U.'s?

[Rebl2]

6. Stadiums

will be empty, so no worries about buying tickets.

[Ohiogal]

2. This is a tough one.

How do you social distance in a locker room or on a bus or airplane?

[bearsfootball516]

3. My guess is all the players will essentially be quarantined.

No contact with anybody except for each other.

[Auggie]

5. Will they quarantine trainers and medical personnel? What about bus drivers, flight attendants,

baggage handlers, caterers, etc?

It will only lead to more infections IMO.

[crickets]

9. +1

[Baclava]

4. No fans, owners still want the TV money, what does the Players Union say?

Can they still chew and spit tobacky?

[ProfessorGAC]

11. The Proposal Went To MLBPA

Meeting among all parties scheduled for Wednesday.
Players' rep already mentioning hazard pay.
My prediction is the players will vote to play.

[RussBLib]

7. I have lost interest

Just cancel the damn season and it will go in the record books as an "off" year or something.

There are more important things than watching spoiled athletes raking in millions for playing baseball.

[totodeinhere]

8. If fans are not in attendance I am not interested. And I doubt if the pandemic will be under

control by July so I don't think that they will be able to have fans in attendance. As far as I'm concerned they should stay closed.

[crickets]

10. I'm a bit embarrassed that right behind my "NO! Don't do it - you're gonna kill somebody!"

reaction is the other reaction: "Designated hitter in the NL? Oh, puh-leez..."

The whole thing is a very bad idea.

[ProfessorGAC]

12. My Prediction

I said this above, but I predict the players will vote to accept the proposal.
There'll be some demands by MLBPA as a show of concern, but if the option if force majeure and nobody gets paid, they'll vote to play.
Remember, these are ultrahigh caliber athletes. They think they're invincible.
And >40% are unmarried and have no family (direct, under same roof) to focus their concern.
I'm predicting a vote to play that won't be close.

[Blasphemer]

13. Baseball is the most social distancing friendly of the major sports...

So if they're no fans, it really comes down to if they can successfully navigate the non-play related contacts. I'm curious to hear what the players think. They would be sacrificing a lot in terms of connections with family members. And what happens if family members start getting sick and they have to go home? I'm not totally opposed to the experiment given the nature of the sport but I can see it crashing and burning pretty quickly.