This is getting beyond ridiculous.
With growing concern over the spread of COVID-19 after 17 members of the Miami Marlins tested positive following their series in Philadelphia, Major League Baseball has postponed the next six games on the Marlins schedule through Sunday. That means their games against the Baltimore Orioles and Washington Nationals will not happen this week, and there is no telling when and if those games will ever be made up.
The scheduling issues also affected the Yankees and Phillies, who have seen their entire four-game shuttle series postponed completely. Even though tests on the Phillies came back negative, they will have to test again at somepoint to determine if anyone in the Phillies clubhouse does indeed have the virus.
Instead the Yankees will now have to shuttle to Baltimore to play the Orioles -- both teams just trying to make up games that have been removed from their schedule.
In a 60-game season under so much uncertainty there is no telling 1) when these games will be made up, 2) how this will impact the playoff race -- should this season conclude. Right now we are looking at the potentiality of the Marlins playing 54 games this year; the Phillies 56 games; the Nationals 57 games' the Yankees and Orioles 58 games a piece. This is outrageous and ridiculous.
It feels like Major League Baseball is making things up as they go along with no clear protocol on how to handle the virus. In addition the League seems satisfied by just proceeding along and pushing the Marlins to the side while they keep playing baseball.
That's totally unfair to the Marlins, and totally unfair to the teams that have lost games on their schedule. Imagine a scenario where the Marlins make the playoffs because a 54 game season could give them a better winning percentage. All this does is further prove that this season can't be looked up as legitimate.
Yet, baseball will keep going. They will endure more breakouts, and as long as nobody gets seriously ill, they will complete this bastardization of a season. Why, well TV revenue, and revenue from streaming services and online shopping sales is the key driver.
The Players Union needs to step up to the plate and challenge Commissioner Rob Manfred and plead with him to stop this season before things get totally out of hand, if they haven't already.
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