As the nation attempts to curb the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, many professional sports leagues were forced to suspend operations for the time being.
That includes Major League Baseball, who cancelled all remaining Spring Training games and delayed the start of the regular season.
The Los Angeles Dodgers were midway through Cactus League play when the stoppage of play was announced. For baseball fans everywhere, getting an opportunity to visit Camelback Ranch and other Spring Training facilities is one of the highlights of the year.
With a dozen or so games being called off, many fans are unable to check that off their bucket list this year.
One Dodgers fan described his level of frustration, revealing that he took a baseball bat to the trash can as a nod to the Houston Astros’ sign-stealing method, via Doug Padilla of the Southern California News Group:
“I took a baseball bat to a trash can just like the cheatin’ (expletive) Astros,” Donat said. “And then I raged some more when I realized we couldn’t cancel the hotel room. Then I said, ‘What the hell.’”
Another Dodgers fan made a direct effort to visit Camelback Ranch this year despite the fact that a large portion of the games were suspended:
Dodgers fan Rick Runa from Whittier was in a group intent on making its seventh consecutive trip to spring training, even if games weren’t going to be played. Saturday’s game between the White Sox and Dodgers had long been canceled but they came to Camelback Ranch anyway.
“You knew the situation was going on, but you didn’t expect the decision (to cancel) so quickly,” Runa said. “It was disheartening but we’re trying to make the best of it. We’re hanging out and spending time together, still on vacation.”
While it’s certainly disappointing that the second-half of Spring Training was suspended, MLB ultimately made the right decision in prioritizing the health of the players, team employees and fans.
As for the current state of the sport, there is no telling on when games will resume. The expectation is that the regular season won’t begin until some time in May at the earliest, but some believe a more realistic timeline is June or even July.
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