The ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has dramatically altered everyday life. In addition to schools and businesses closing down, the sports world has also taken a back seat for the time being.
Major League Baseball not only cancelled the dozen or so remaining games on the Spring Training slate, but also indefinitely delayed the start of the 2020 regular season.
Opening Day, which was expected to take place on Thursday, has been pushed back by a minimum of eight weeks. The earliest in which play can resume is mid-May, but many expect the hiatus to carry over into June and perhaps July.
With so much uncertainty brought by the coronavirus outbreak, players have been forced to adjust their routines. Team workouts are no longer permitted, and large gatherings in general have been banned until the situation improves.
Amid that challenge, Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts explained how he is consistently keeping in communication with his players and tries to maintain a positive mindset, via the team’s YouTube channel:
“Now it’s kind of come to an abrupt halt, so it’s more of trying to be educated. I’ve been reaching out to players and coaches, trying to keep them positive. I just look at this as a time, you look outside and it’s very sad and scary because of the uncertainty, but there are still a lot of positives.
“There’s a lot of FaceTime, there’s text messaging, there’s phone calls. With the coaching staff, there’s a lot of TikToks going on. So that’s pretty funny. … Just to connect with my family, the players and coaches, that’s been good. And I think for our country, our world, I see that happening, which is a good thing.”
As the Dodgers attempt to stay focused through these difficult times, it is certainly good to see the team making a complete effort to stay in touch with each other.
If and when baseball is able to return, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred has already ruled out the possibility of a 162-game schedule.
Some players are believed to be open to the idea of a significant amount of doubleheaders to make up as many games as possible.
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