Typically when the Los Angeles Dodgers or other Major League Baseball teams clinch a postseason berth, they celebrate by popping some champagne and beer in the clubhouse in acknowledgment of the long journey it took to get to that point.
The 2020 season is certainly a unique one due to various health and safety protocols in place by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, forcing players to maintain social distancing while at the stadium. Additionally, with the season being shortened to 60 games, it still feels like it just started even though there are only a couple of weeks left.
The Dodgers are currently on the verge of clinching a postseason berth for the eighth consecutive season, and while the celebration will certainly be different, they have said that they still plan to do something.
It is looking like there will be no alcohol involved, however, as MLB reportedly is going to eliminate that from celebrations this year, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post:
Still, MLB recognizes it can remove one vital element from any stadium celebration — alcohol. The teams supply it in celebratory moments and MLB is going to forbid its presence. MLB also can, to a large extent through the teams, control the clubhouse. To that end, the league is going to ask players to celebrate on the field and to mask up as soon as it’s possible to do so. Commemorative shirts and caps are likely to be distributed in a way to limit contact with as many people as possible.
The Dodgers and other teams likely won’t be happy about this, so hopefully the league will work with teams to find a happy medium where they can drink and celebrate their accomplishments while also maintaining social distancing.
With no fans in stadiums, it seems the best way to do that is to celebrate on the field as opposed to the clubhouse, which looks to already be in the works.
Roberts hopeful team can celebrate with alcohol
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, who has been involved in plenty of celebrations throughout his career as both a player and coach, commented on the matter and doesn’t feel that the addition of alcohol will affect his team’s ability to keep protocol.
“I get the social distancing part of it. I don’t know how much correlation there is to the alcohol for adults in a room, but I hope we get four celebrations and a chance to have non-alcoholic celebrations,” he said.
The Dodgers are a team with World Series aspirations so likely won’t get caught up too much in what the league allows or doesn’t allow them to do to celebrate. Roberts has always been a big proponent of enjoying the journey though, and celebrating is part of that so there is no doubt they will find some way to recognize the outstanding season they have had.
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