While the calendar has flipped to May and various states have begun the process of opening businesses back up, there currently still is a lot of uncertainty surrounding the 2020 Major League Baseball season.
It was recently reported that Spring Training will begin in the middle of June with Opening Day on July 1 at home ballparks, although that was refuted by reporters as well, so it doesn’t seem that anything is set in stone yet.
To no surprise, there are believed to be politics involved in MLB’s decision even though commissioner Rob Manfred has said that health will come first when deciding when to return to action.
As it currently stands, it appears teams still have questions despite daily conversations with the league. Specifically, Los Angeles Dodgers president and CEO Stan Kasten noted there isn’t clarity on determining essential personnel, via Mike DiGiovanna of the L.A. Times:
“As soon as it came up, we started looking at it, and it’s just like with everything else — we still have more questions than answers,” Kasten said. “It’s going to depend on what guidance we are given from baseball, from the city and the state, on what restrictions will be imposed for us to play a game without fans.
“Will there be limitations on [clubhouse attendants]? Do both teams have the same number of trainers, doctors and X-ray technicians, or will the home team provide them?” Kasten said. “Are we supposed to operate the scoreboards? Do we need a public address announcer?
“Then there’s the whole world of the media. Are there restrictions on the numbers allowed in a stadium? Do we have pool reporting? How do we [keep reporters] separate? Are there personal interviews or is everything piped into the press box? I don’t know. Oh, we’ve got questions, man, lots of questions.”
It seems that MLB is certainly trying to limit the number of people at the ballpark for games. That’s a difficult proposition with roster sizes, coaches and trainers alone. And as Kasten noted, then there’s the question of broadcasting crews and media.
The NBA faces a similar challenge as they are in the early stages of allowing teams to re-open practice facilities ahead of possibly resuming the season and entering the playoffs.
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