As Major League Baseball and the Players Association face a financial disagreement to resolve and need to reach a deal for the 2020 regular season, the Los Angeles Dodgers and other teams in California received a bit of positive news Monday.
During his daily address, California Gov. Gavin Newsom indicated sports — with fans in attendance — could potentially resume as early as June. “Sporting events, pro sports in that first a week or so of June without spectators, and modifications, and very prescriptive conditions also could begin to move forward,” Newsom said.
“And a number of other sectors of our economy will open up again, if we hold these trend lines in the next number of weeks, and that includes, for example, getting a haircut, which is very meaningful. And that could be done on a regional variance, but it will be able to be advanced we believe in the next few weeks even statewide.”
While Newsom went on record to highlight the possibility, he added the caveat of citizens and businesses alike must still proceed with caution and that not every locale is on the same timeframe.
“And as a respect, as I express the localism frame, let me also respect that decision making at the local level. The Bay Area is in a different position than some parts of the state. LA County is in a different position than other parts of the state,” Newsom elaborated.
“They can move at their own pace based upon their own local conditions. But now we are broadening the pace to which people can enter in to phase two and begin the process of making subsequent decisions to move more broadly into other sectors of our society.
“I just want people to know that we are encouraged by the progress. And the only thing that will set us back is that we move too quickly, no longer practice the social distancing, the physical distancing that got us so far together. And it is incumbent upon all of us to listen to our local health directors to take seriously these statewide orders. Again, I recognize the cabin fever and the need and desire so many people have to quote, unquote, get back to work.
“But there would be no greater mistake than us dream of regretting that we moved too quickly and there was a setback, that set back not only our local community, but more broadly the entire state of California. So I just want to encourage people to continue to hold the line, continue to move as we are moving deliberatively in a phased approach.
Under a proposal approved by MLB owners last week, teams would hold Spring Training 2.0 and regular-season games in their own ballparks rather than select cities serving as a hub. Newsom essentially removing one potential obstacle is a boon, but it ultimately will be a moot point if MLB and the MLBPA are unable to strike a deal.
Should the two parties manage to come to an agreement, MLB was said to be targeting June for the start of a second Spring Training that would last approximately three to four weeks.
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