With less than a week remaining in the 2020 regular season, Los Angeles Dodgers players, coaches and staff members officially entered a bubble. It’s separate from plans MLB has for the postseason, when teams will be in respective Southern California and Texas bubbles.
“We’re going to be in the bubble until the end. It’s the best way to eliminate or minimize exposure, so I think as far as us being on the 1-yard line, getting to the postseason and getting through it, it’s a responsible way to do it,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said.
“In a year you’re going to be inconvenienced for a good reason at times, this fits under that umbrella.”
The league opted to have teams take added precaution — even for those playing at home — to better ensure the postseason is completed without issue. The importance of getting through October to crown a World Series champion has been present since negotiations between MLB and the Players Association earlier this year.
MLB’s efforts to further capitalize on the postseason manifested with it being expanded to 16 teams. It removed any benefit for a club such as the Dodgers to clinch the division and finish with the best record in the league. All teams will begin the postseason with a best-of-three Wild Card Series.
While the MLBPA approved an expanded postseason for 2020, which commissioner Rob Manfred believes will be in place beyond this year, there was pushback from players over the prospect of having to separate from their family members ahead of the postseason beginning.
Justin Turner was among the more vocal to take a stand against it. So too was Roberts, as managers and coaches weren’t expected to have their family members with them. The Dodgers ensured that won’t be the case.
“I can’t speak to Major League Baseball. I can speak to the Dodgers, and I don’t think every team acted the way we did. Our ownership group allowed us to have our families go into a separate bubble to quarantine to then be able to join us in Texas,” Roberts said.
“I know myself, the players, the coaches, their families are very grateful. It’s something that is coming out of pocket from ownership, so I’m very grateful.”
Tempered NL West celebration
Along with requiring teams to enter a bubble ahead of the postseason, MLB put a ban on alcohol being involved in clinching celebrations this year. Upon wrapping up the NL West, the Dodgers recognized their accomplishment by way of speeches in the clubhouse.
“You feel bad,” Corey Seager said. “Like I said, you can’t take this for granted, so every time you get to do it, you want to enjoy it and live in the moment. To not be able to do it kind of sucks. There’s some young guys in there that haven’t really been able to have that experience, and if they have, it’s only been once. You feel for those guys.”
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