Tuesday, March 17, 2020

MLB Season Opener Delayed to At Least May

There is no telling how long we will be without live sporting events, but with the rapid spread of the COVID-19 virus leagues like Major League Baseball are not taking any chances.

On Monday, MLB announced that it will delay the opening of the season til at least May 11 after the Centers for Disease Control recommended that all public gatherings of more than 50 people be halted for at least eight weeks. That takes until May 11.

The decision by the CDC is going to have ripple effects on every sports league. The NBA and NHL suspended their seasons last week, and may - not saying they will -- but may have to consider canceling their seasons if the quarantine lasts longer than eight weeks. Then again, there has been consideration of resuming those respective seasons as late as June or July.

As for baseball is concerned, if the season doesn't open until May 11, MLB's players are going to need at least two to three weeks to prepare in Spring Training again, which would mean practicing in the midst of the CDC's recommended quarantine.

Realistically, the season may not get going until at least June maybe even July, if we have a season at all. Is MLB ready to have a truncated season? Will they find a way to squeeze in 100 plus games? These are all questions that will be answered in the coming months, but the facts are it is looking less and less likely we will see sports at all come the month of May.

No comments:

Yankees Stay Busy Get Goldschmidt for First Base

 You can cross the Yankees off the list for former Mets first baseman Pete Alonso.  The Bronx Bombers came to terms on a one-year, $12.5 mil...