Major League Baseball has delayed the start of the 2020 regular season twice due to the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The earliest in which play can resume is mid-May, although players will likely need a second Spring Training to get back into game shape.
Given the circumstances, many believe June or even July is a more realistic time frame for Opening Day. With MLB commissioner Rob Manfred already ruling out a 162-game schedule this season, the league will have to get creative to make up as many games as possible.
A significant amount of doubleheaders being scheduled is reportedly on the table. So too is eliminating the 2020 All-Star Game at Dodger Stadium, which of course would be a disappointing outcome for the Los Angeles Dodgers and their fans.
Dodgers president and CEO Stan Kasten revealed that the Midsummer Classic is still scheduled to take place as of now, but noted MLB could make some changes depending on when the regular season is able to start, via SportsNet LA:
“This is a big thing for L.A. I don’t know how it got to be 40 years without a game in L.A., which is the media and entertainment capital of the world, but here we are. We’re very excited to have the game, and right now it is still scheduled. I don’t know how much longer or how delayed the start can be before they have to make a decision about that.
“So, could they alter the game? It’s possible. Could they alter the events around it? It’s possible. Could they start the second half with a different kind of game? All of those things are possible. Again, I’ve been warned not to speculate, because until we know when we’re going to get started, we can’t really answer any of the other questions.
“It very much is a question at this point. But whether we’re going to have it this year, whether there is any All-Star Game at all this year, we just don’t know. We certainly hope so. We’re keeping our hopes alive. We’ll just have to play it out a little while longer before we do know.”
Only once in MLB history has an All-Star Game kicked off the second half of play; the 1981 Midsummer Classic was held in August that year following a players’ strike that wiped out nearly two months of play.
If the 2020 All-Star Game is ultimately cancelled, the earliest in which the event can be held at Dodger Stadium is 2022. The Atlanta Braves were already rewarded the 2021 All-Star Game.
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