Dr. Anthony Fauci said MLB and sports needs to take a very cautious approach to re-opening the season that players, working personnel, and family do not infect each other. (file photo from minnpost.com)

The Baseball Situation

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

Even if there is a 2020 season,under the most recent plan by Major League Baseball of some kind of a season with 15 teams in Arizona and 15 in Florida playing with no fans in attendance,all the powers-to-be at this time do not seem to agree on issues pertaining to a season. MLB, the owners,the players.

Why owners are hesitant to start the season? Teams have already lost money, no ticket sales,no sales of parking lot spaces, no sales of souvenirs, food, suite rentals,the advertising (signage) inside the stadiums. If season is shortened, players would get paid portion(pro-rated)per their contracts. However they will not receive their full salaries if the season takes place with the regular 162 game schedule, something that is very unlikely at this time.

Because we are in unprecedented situation,these issues are very fluid. MLB is listening not only to politicians who have the power to declare stay at home policies and all the other stuff that we by now have become accustomed to, for the first time in our lives, but also most of these decisions are under the guidance of the medical experts. For example,this is what renown Dr.Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases believes has to be done: “Nobody comes to the stadium. Put (the players) in big hotels, test them every week, and keep them very well under surveillance. Make sure they don’t wind up infecting each other or their families and let them play the season out.”

Some players might not want to take their families to Arizona or Florida.Two of the higher profile players,both from Los Angeles area teams, Mike Trout of the LA Angels and Clayton Kershaw of the LA Dodgers already objected to the long time separation from their families.

According to Major League Baseball the original March agreement did not protect clubs in the event games were played in empty ballparks.The union says salary issues were clearly covered. The main trust of the issue by owners (as it seems) is that nobody ever anticipated playing games in empty ballparks.

Millions of people are currently unemployed,some might never get their jobs back. Across the country thousands of businesses are trying to survive,some might, some might not,they are racing for loans and grants from the government.

In the best scenario,suppose teams go back and play May and June in Florida and Arizona with no fans and then if the situation greatly improves they return to their respective cities across the country and let the fans in. But how about the fans? Going to the park,if you do not have a job baseball is not going to be a priority anyway, it is a luxury.

A unique and different challenge to all the people in the business of baseball who has never been in this situation, but the country also has never been in this situation. According to a report by Forbes,  Major League Baseball grossed a record $10.7 billion in revenue for the 2019 Season an increase from the $10.3 billion the prior year

So I leave it to your imagination. At the end this might be too big to solve, for the National Pastime at least for 2020.

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