The All Star game at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles most likely will be called off in July 15th due to the nationwide lockdown due to Coronavirus. If held the Dodgers were planning to unveil a statue for former Dodger pitcher Sandy Koufax whose statue would be right next to former Dodger second baseman Jackie Robinson in photo (cbslosangeles.com photo)

MLB: Big Decisions remain like All Star Game in Los Angeles

That’s Amaury New and Commentary

Amaury Pi-González

Decisions loom in the horizon regarding the possibility of cancelling the All Star Game at Dodger Los Angeles, scheduled for July14 this year. Think for a moment this: let’s say the season begins June 1st. It will be a challenge to pick the players for the All Star Game,when they have only played one month of baseball.

The ASG will be cancelled. Such scenario in a way, would mean, at least the season will begin during the first half and not the second half. Dodger Stadium has renovations of approximately $100 million- “Centerfield Plaza”. Legendary southpaw Sandy Koufax will have a statue next to Jackie Robinson whose statue was unveiled last July. Dodgers (unlike many other teams) have not been an organization that have built statues for some of their great players. But that could be changing beginning this season.

In 1945 the All Star Game scheduled for July 10, was cancelled on April 24, just two weeks into the season. This was due to WWII and wartime travel restrictions.That was the only year since 1933 when the first All Star Game took place that the mid-season event has not been played.

The future of this 2020 season is resting on how fast we get a handle on this deadly virus, Covid-19. There will probably be at least a week for players to stretch their legs and take a few swings and pitchers get into the groove they were getting-into a couple of weeks ago.

It is not like you can sit down 600 plus players, then “turn the switch on” and they can begin the season. I do not envy the Oakland Athletics great traveling secretary Mickey Morabito, one of the most competent and experience traveling secretaries in baseball.

The first game in the Bay Area was scheduled for Tuesday when the Giants were to host the Athletics in the first game of the Bay Bridge series, signaling the end of Spring Training. Both clubs were to begin playing for real Thursday the 26th.

The A’a at home against the Twins. Giants in Los Angeles vs.Dodgers. The best scenario for the A’s would be to open their season mid-April. They already postponed the first home-stand of seven games, four vs Twins and three vs Astros.

April had the most games at home for the Athletics a total of 18 and against very popular drawing teams, aside from Twins and Astros, Yankees and Boston scheduled to make their only appearance at Oakland. Then comes Seattle for four and Tampa Bay for one game before we turn into May.

It doesn’t look pretty either for the Giants who open their season in Los Angeles and Arizona and are schedule to open their season at home on April 3 for three vs Dodgers and four vs.Arizona. That first home-stand for the Giants is very much in jeopardy.

MLB states: “The league 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. MLB and its Clubs have been preparing a variety of contingency plans regarding the 2020 regular-season schedule. The league plans to announce the effects on the schedule at an appropriate time, though MLB also said it “will remain flexible as events warrant, with the hope of resuming normal operations as soon as possible.”

All the experts. CDC professionals, who study and manage this type of crisis agree that this next two weeks are crucial for the country, and which way this is headed. As we speak, some laboratories per instructions from the CDC and the US Federal government are working with a couple of well known drugs that could have some good results.

It may not to solve the problem, but in the sense of therapy in trying to alleviate those afflicted,(treatment) until eventually in the future a vaccine is developed and available. When it comes to medicine, the US is very innovative and is result oriented country and we should all stay positive and think that better days lie ahead. Everybody is this country wants a quick solution, but not every problem in life has a quick resolution.

In the meantime, enjoy more time at home, listen to the instructions take care of yourself and your family and hope for the best.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the Oakland A’s Spanish radio talent heard on KIQI 1010 San Francisco and does News and Commentary each week at http://www.sportsradioservice.com