COVID-19 impact on MLB season

[DuWayne Steurer]

We are not going to get a season.

[adambr2]

We are not going to get a season.

 

It's just too early to say, IMO. The MLB season is 6 months long and we are barely even into the regular season. I know it feels like this is a never ending thing but really we are just a couple weeks into it.

 

Let's see where we are at around the middle of May and I think we'll have a much better idea by then where this is going. We have no idea what kind of developments we'll have in testing, treating, and peaking rates by then.

[DuWayne Steurer]

We are not going to get a season.

 

It's just too early to say, IMO. The MLB season is 6 months long and we are barely even into the regular season. I know it feels like this is a never ending thing but really we are just a couple weeks into it.

 

Let's see where we are at around the middle of May and I think we'll have a much better idea by then where this is going. We have no idea what kind of developments we'll have in testing, treating, and peaking rates by then.

 

I'll rephrase. My gut tells me we are not going to get a season. We may or we may not, but the indicators just point towards this not happening. It's going to be pretty hard to quarantine 700 + guys plus support staff all for the sake of playing games. All it's going to take is one infected person to make the whole thing come Crashing Down. One family member going to a grocery store or whatever and coming in contact and it's over

[adambr2]

We are not going to get a season.

 

It's just too early to say, IMO. The MLB season is 6 months long and we are barely even into the regular season. I know it feels like this is a never ending thing but really we are just a couple weeks into it.

 

Let's see where we are at around the middle of May and I think we'll have a much better idea by then where this is going. We have no idea what kind of developments we'll have in testing, treating, and peaking rates by then.

 

I'll rephrase. My gut tells me we are not going to get a season. We may or we may not, but the indicators just point towards this not happening. It's going to be pretty hard to quarantine 700 + guys plus support staff all for the sake of playing games. All it's going to take is one infected person to make the whole thing come Crashing Down. One family member going to a grocery store or whatever and coming in contact and it's over

 

Well, that's the thing. If any sports is to happen, they need a plan in place for a positive test to where the entire thing doesn't come crashing down again. Can this be accomplished? Can we immediately test an entire team and their recent opponents, put any affected on the IL, quarantine them, and move on?

 

What if we revamped the schedule to where you play every opponent that you play in one block and then move onto the next opponent, starting with division opponents? Example if we play the Cubs 16 times this year and we figure we will get 100 games in with a revamped schedule, we now play them 10 times, do them all at once, half home then half away, then move onto the next opponent? It's a scheduling nightmare I'm sure, but it could be accomplished. This way, if something happens, you're not looking at 4 or 5 other teams that you've been in contact with over the last 2 weeks, you're looking at 1 or 2.

[DuWayne Steurer]

I agree that logistically that is workable but I think also logistically it would be a nightmare. The amount of people that would have to be quarantined for three or four months is going to be a few thousand people. Logistically it's feasible but realistically I just don't think it's workable. All it takes is one, and we all know that people aren't staying home now...

[BuckyBrewer61]

Baseball isn’t happening this year. I would be willing to bet a large sum of money on that.

 

I am frustrated that, as a season seat holder, the Brewers will not refund they money I’ve already paid for tickets. At bare minimum, for games that have already passed, for which I have now paid for literally nothing.

 

This is a problem that needs to be fixed. Now. I know the Brewers and all of baseball are taking a huge financial hit right now, but that doesn’t justify keeping the fans’ money in exchange for nothing.

[pacopete4]

Do you get your money back if they are rained out (yes, I know MP has a roof) and they game is either played at a later date or possibly not at all?

[folly412]

I agree that logistically that is workable but I think also logistically it would be a nightmare. The amount of people that would have to be quarantined for three or four months is going to be a few thousand people. Logistically it's feasible but realistically I just don't think it's workable. All it takes is one, and we all know that people aren't staying home now...

 

Yep, probably closing in on 10,000. Players, coaches, team personnel, umpires, facilities staff, doctors, media, lodging, food service, transportation. Double that if not disconnecting all of them from their families for months. Then still needing a 0.000% failure rate on the supply chain for food, supplies, equipment, transportation.

 

Best case is things improve enough by late May/early June that they can prepare to play the second half schedule. Even then there would be stadium sharing or teams playing out of their spring training complex if they're located in hot spots.

[BuckyBrewer61]

Do you get your money back if they are rained out (yes, I know MP has a roof) and they game is either played at a later date or possibly not at all?

 

This is a bit of a different situation.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

Baseball isn’t happening this year. I would be willing to bet a large sum of money on that.

 

I am frustrated that, as a season seat holder, the Brewers will not refund they money I’ve already paid for tickets. At bare minimum, for games that have already passed, for which I have now paid for literally nothing.

 

This is a problem that needs to be fixed. Now. I know the Brewers and all of baseball are taking a huge financial hit right now, but that doesn’t justify keeping the fans’ money in exchange for nothing.

 

That's impossible! I was told a few pages ago that no season was "impossible" in even the "worst case scenario."

 

The Brewers aren't keeping your money if the games don't happen. They can't and they won't. At worst, they'll rollover into 2021. They don't get to keep your cash for a 20 games that never happened. Not to mention the catastrophic impact that would have on the brand and team going forward.

[DuWayne Steurer]

ESPN articles stating that they're "hoping" to get fans in stadiums in major sports leagues by August or September. That's not making baseball sound very likely. A lot is going to hinge on how much of a lid can be gotten on this thing in the next 3-4 weeks, but that's a pretty fluid statement and situation.

[adambr2]

Is it harder in practicality to do fanless baseball than it would be to, say, finish out the NBA season without fans?

 

I don't know what the practical differences are and if one is harder than another to drive on with, honestly curious.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

I've been saying for a while that I don't see how baseball happens. June is a pipe dream, and even if you got something in June/July there will be chaos if someone contracts it. Nobody involved wants to concede the loss of billions of dollars which is understandable. But I will be shocked though if any MLB happens in 2020. IMO school is done, baseball is done, basketball is done. We are looking at sports returning with the NFL, which is the sport that needed that kind of adrenaline dart the least.

 

I would guess, but it's just a guess, that fan-less basketball is much easier because there are just not as many people involved. Smaller rosters, smaller staff, not the same kind of grounds crew etc.

[Cool Hand Lucroy]

The big problem with this virus is that there is NOTHING we can treat it with. Obviously, the real end of this is a vaccine, but an effective antiviral can greatly reduce the biggest risk--swamping the health care system.

 

Will that happen by June? I don't know. No one does. But, bad as this looks, we are one medical breakthrough away from things looking a lot differently.

[LouisEly]

Much more player-to-player contact in basketball though. In baseball they rarely touch each other, and other than the batter/catcher/home plate umpire (of which one isn't necessary), are rarely even near each other in a game. Tagging is done with a glove and an extended arm, not a body or bare hand. Natural social distancing in baseball.

 

If there are no fans, the players can space out in the stands instead of being in the dugout. I think there's a better chance of baseball than finishing basketball.

Edited April 5, 2020 by LouisEly

[OldSchoolSnapper]

You expressed this earlier but I don't really think the on-field contact is much of a factor in the decision if at all. You can get this from coughing and sneezing and touching a door handle. By playing any sport at all you've accepted a level of risk that isn't enhanced all that much by that sport being basketball.

 

There's travel and meals and showers and mingling. It is as much about the logistics of running a league as it is the game itself.

[LouisEly]

All of those things apply to basketball too. My response was countering your opinion that fan-less basketball was easier than baseball. It isn't.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

It's "easier" if at all simply because there are fewer people. That's less work to set up from a logistics standpoint, I don't think the actual game matters at all. I don't think any of that actually matters though. If we're still dreaming up ways to separate the players, they just aren't going to play.

[MrTPlush]

I think no one has even a sliver of an idea whether something will or won’t happen at this point.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

I think the scales have tipped in favor of no season, though.

[Fear The Chorizo]

Sounds like they are shooting for starting the season in may, with the idea of opening up games primarily in arizona...probably spring training facilities and probably in empty stadiums.

 

If viruses don't like heat, let's play ball in the desert, baby! In all honesty, players need to get paid and to do that they need to play baseball....similar to all the rest of us working stiffs, gotta work to make money. At some point the whole country and frankly the whole world will need to find ways to get back to work and deal with this virus, which IMO would probably have to happen as the calendar rolls into May, anyways...if not sooner.

[rondoman]

Sounds like they are shooting for starting the season in may, with the idea of opening up games primarily in arizona...probably spring training facilities and probably in empty stadiums.

 

If viruses don't like heat, let's play ball in the desert, baby! In all honesty, players need to get paid and to do that they need to play baseball....similar to all the rest of us working stiffs, gotta work to make money. At some point the whole country and frankly the whole world will need to find ways to get back to work and deal with this virus, which IMO would probably have to happen as the calendar rolls into May, anyways...if not sooner.

 

Absolutely terrible idea.

 

No way will MLB be back in May.

[JimH5]

As much as I selfishly love the idea of watching baseball on tv, I can't imagine attending a game until the virus is eradicated, or I am vaccinated or deemed immune, or unless there is a treatment that is considered effective by medical doctors.

[folly412]

Sounds like they are shooting for starting the season in may, with the idea of opening up games primarily in arizona...probably spring training facilities and probably in empty stadiums.

 

If viruses don't like heat, let's play ball in the desert, baby! In all honesty, players need to get paid and to do that they need to play baseball....similar to all the rest of us working stiffs, gotta work to make money. At some point the whole country and frankly the whole world will need to find ways to get back to work and deal with this virus, which IMO would probably have to happen as the calendar rolls into May, anyways...if not sooner.

 

Absolutely terrible idea.

 

No way will MLB be back in May.

 

 

It does seem absurd. The "idea list" in this article is even more ridiculous. No mound visits and players sitting six feet apart in the stands? I can see some changes in seating, but if you've go to mandate that it smacks of pressing the issue to come back prematurely.

 

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/29004498/mlb-union-focused-plan-allow-season-start-early-arizona

[DuWayne Steurer]

So they're going to take 800 players plus support staff and stash them in hotels and allow them only to travel from hotels to the fields and back for how long? Does that honestly seem workable? I mean honestly?

 

I'm asking this question as someone who absolutely does not want to miss a season of baseball. I don't want to lose 25% or 50% of a season of Christian Yelich in his prime. But I just don't see how a plan like this is feasible. On paper it sounds fine, but just the Logistics of it don't make sense.