It has now been three months since Major League Baseball was last played due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, and there still is no return date set in stone.
MLB commissioner Rob Manfred recently guaranteed that there will be a 2020 season, only to then go back on that with sharp criticism aimed at the Players Association. Manfred can impose a shortened season, which figures to likely be around 50 games.
The players were hoping for a longer season of at least 89 games, but with their commitment to receiving full prorated salaries, the owners are pushing for the fewest number of games possible.
That’s unfortunate news for the fans, who miss watching baseball dearly, and the players, who miss playing it. That is the case for Los Angeles Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw, who opened up about how much he misses it in an interview on Joe Davis and Orel Hershiser’s podcast, “Off Air with Joe and Orel”:
“I think just generally I miss it. It makes me realize I’m not ready to just be home every day. I just really want to play. I used to think I’d miss the clubhouse and the guys, which I do. I miss that a lot. But I also miss pitching. I miss the mound, I miss competing, I miss throwing the ball and having the guy swing. I miss all that. I guess that’s somewhat reassuring for me that I still have a lot left in the tank and I’m still mentally into it as I ever have been.”
When MLB first began discussing its plan for a return to action, Kershaw expressed a reluctance to be quarantined in Arizona away from his family for the whole season. He has clarified those comments, and since MLB’s plan is for games to be at home stadiums, Kershaw seems more on board with playing the 2020 season.
As is the case with all other players, Kershaw is now just waiting for Manfred and the owners to make the final decision on when the season will begin. Considering the league and union presumably will not be coming to an agreement, the players are now just ready to take the field for whatever number of games they decide.
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