[ESPN] MLB suspends spring training, delays Opening Day at least two weeks

Given that even California is saying pro sports can probably start in June, I assume MLB will be happening. The players are using the "but our health!" thing as a negotiating tactic, but at the end of the day, they are the same as everyone else. You can already see people getting more and more comfortable each week with daily activities and that's likely to continue regardless of the virus. In the end, the players aren't going to sacrifice a billion dollars. You can be sure there are a ton of players who are not very concerned, and are wanting to play and wanting to make some kind of income. MLBPA probably is encouraging them to stay quiet for negotiating purposes for now, but if the season is looking like it will be cancelled, I think they'll be more vocal.

As soon as one sports league starts up, I imagine all the others will follow suit. I suspect the NBA will lead the way. After they are playing, it's harder for the other leagues to argue it's not safe.

 

I couldn’t disagree more on the NBA. Constant sweat and the touching of the ball.?? Ha. I think the NBA is done until next season.

 

Some players/coaches will get coronavirus whether they play baseball or not. I'd guess quite a few players are going to find out they are/were sick as soon as testing begins.

 

Not sure whether no season, a restart that gets shut down again either due to corona spreading or players just not willing to gamble with their health or a continued season that manages to finish with an eventual title handed out to somebody marred in controversy. Ditto for Basketball and all other sports suffering a similar situation. Pretty starting and stopping again is everyone's last choice. And the only way to avoid it with certainty is not to restart at all.

I know all the sports seem gung-ho to get playing, but I cant dismiss the thought that when it comes down to it, some players will just refuse to play, and others will pull out if things get sticky. Then your left with some players wanting to play but cant due to roster depletion. Then you would two camps of players. Those who stayed, those that left or didn't play at all. Either way, some unfavorable divisions between one camp and the other.

The other thing that bothers me about a restart is what happens around the world as restrictions loosen up. Even if you picture everything going as smoothly as possible, meaning no significant corona out breaks or spreading here at home, will a new outbreak somewhere else causing a re-shut down there make us do the same at home? Lets say things dont go perfect domestically, how many cases will it take to reach that shut down threshold? 1 guy per team? Two, Three? What if it happens such that some teams are hit much harder than others? Some teams dropping out, others not? Just seems like so many things could cause things to go very badly. Yet, I dont want to have to wait until 2021 to see sports again either. Its all just a giant clusterf#ck.

Personally, I think the litmus test is when those first major sports get going again. If that/those teams have issues, then others considering a re-start may pause. If, however, things go well, then others I expect will jump in quickly.

 

You form a league of your own first, using the penal league, with guest stars like adam sandler and AJ Reed, and then if that goes well, you let the major leaguers come back. I might watch that for the beatdowns and outfielders trying to climb barbed home run fences, to either rob home runs ( pretty funny ), or escape, who knows, it's a coin toss. Pure entertainment.

 

I'd guess on average each organization has at least 1 person already infected.

 

Every business in the world is dealing with those same questions and issues - this isn't unique to sports, and there's nothing more inherently dangerous for sports than any of a number of other industries. Realistically, from a viral load standpoint, baseball is probably the safest of all the major team sports due to the distance between players, the very limited amount of physical contact, and the size of the stadiums (and many being outdoors). Of course things can go badly - but if you wait until that's impossible, you might be waiting many years.

 

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.la...for-coronavirus-antibodies-covid-19?_amp=true

 

I fully agree with this

So many people just assume we will have a vaccine soon just because politicians say we will. It’s pretty unlikely we get one before next flu season gets here, and there is no guarantee we ever get one. I hope we get lucky and one of the ones in trials now proves effective, but that would be very lucky as these things haven’t worked that way historically

The “Fix” that would be more likely would be getting one of the finger prick quick results tests to be accurate, and widely available by the millions. For things to approach “normal” we will have to be able to easily differentiate Covid from seasonal Flu, until that point (or a legit vaccine) people will want everything shut down again when flu season gets here and we can’t tell who has which, like now

And no doubt there are players who won’t want to play, and that’s ok. They will have that option just like people in other jobs who are staying home now with their businesses opened back up

 

probably, although a large majority of MLB players don’t fit the profile of those who are getting this at a high rate. I would guess very few live in crowded buildings, most (far from all but most) are young guys with still strong immune systems. Other factors also....I would expect you are right that teams already have someone who has had it, but would think it would be quite a bit lower than the general population

 

These players have been social distancing and they have the means to stay safe and they still have a 1% infection rate. When they start getting together the rates will go up right? It's just common sense and logic. Premier league has the same problem. All it takes is one person on one team, and they just proved that to be true. I wouldn't walk into the clubhouse if I knew one person on the team had the covid yesterday and was sent home. And that happened. It's real data. 2 people per team. Let alone who I don't know has it. So when it happens again, and there are four, or six people per team because they are gathering, and it will happen, then what. It's going to spread like wildfire more than likely. I hope for the best. But the science of how the virus spreads is real and they are playing russian roulette by gathering.

Dusty Baker and Brent Strom better be in a damn bubble when this season starts.

 

I'm not worried about the players at all. But I am worried about Baker & Strom.

 

so 2 on average a couple of weeks ago.

Veterans don't live in crowded buildings. I'm thinking the young guys probably aren't as isolated. I'm thinking most players, young and old, live in urban areas which have higher infection rates. On players, I'm not sure that they get infected less...the young guys will have weaker or no symptoms.

 

Again, this is true of every office, restaurant, manufacturing facility, etc. And it's going to continue to be true. Sports are no different than the rest of society.

 

If Greed isnt the first and foremost deadly sin, it should be.

 

Yep, with the exception that sports like MLB are billion dollar industries that can make their workplaces safer than most restaurants, offices, manufacturing facilities. Testing and travel accommodations seem to be the biggest issues regarding making MLB relatively safe.

 

Greed is definitely behind sharing a video with Stephen A Smith. I have gone a long time without hearing him, and I had a moment of bad judgement clicking on that link.

 

The players likely very well aware of the public backlash if the financial issues are the main sticking point... but its still highly unlikely they accept a deal as currently constructed.

Either goes back to original agreement (50% salary) or some other financial instrument/incentive guarantee package other than “we’ll give you more if we end up making more...”

 

Greed on the owners side as well. We know they’re already going to take advantage of every loophole/payment structure in the current system to keep players under club control longer for cheaper... or work out early extensions that are ultimately cheaper if the player pans out.

The players advantage was the premise of guaranteed contracts and no salary cap... which is the entire sticking point at the moment.