Baseball Without Fans? What A Pandemic Summer Season Could Look Like
We look at what’s fair and foul in Major League Baseball’s proposal to return to the field this summer amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Guests
Jeff Passan, senior MLB Insider for ESPN. (@JeffPassan)
Doug Glanville, baseball analyst and former MLB player. (@dougglanville)
Jason Gay, sports columnist for the Wall Street Journal. (@jasongay)
Bob Costas, MLB Network host and play-by-play announcer.
From The Reading List
ESPN: “MLB safety proposal includes thorough testing, social distancing, no spitting” — “Major League Baseball’s ambitious return-to-play plans during the coronavirus pandemic include processing upward of 10,000 COVID-19 tests per week, overhauling stadiums and in-game settings to encourage social distancing, and rigorous rules intended to prevent the spread of COVID-19, according to a draft of the league’s health-and-safety manual obtained by ESPN.”
The Ringer: “The Ryen Russillo Podcast: The Murky Future of the MLB With Jeff Passan” — “Russillo shares his thoughts on Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Blake Snell’s comments regarding the possibility of players taking a pay cut for a shortened MLB season.”
ESPN: “The immensity of MLB’s plan to return through a daunting health-and-safety protocol” — “What’s most striking about Major League Baseball’s 67-page health-and-safety protocol outlining an attempt to return amid the coronavirus pandemic isn’t its little, snicker-worthy details — that players won’t be able to take Ubers and can’t stand shoulder-to-shoulder for the national anthem and, gulp, will be discouraged from postgame showers.”
Wall Street Journal: “Thanks for Masking! A Case for Covering Up” — “I want to talk about masks, because it feels like a hot topic right now, and there aren’t a lot of hot topics in sports at the moment. I mean, I love Michael Jordan as much as anybody, but I’m bored of all these strained debates about Michael Jordan. He was a great basketball player, likely the greatest who ever was.”
ESPN: “As a former player, it would be a shame for baseball to return without fans” — “Last week, a package arrived at my house. It came from retired New Jersey state trooper Mike Dittmar. It had been many years since we last connected, but I will always remember the few words he said to me when we met.”
USA Today: “Korea Baseball Organization will have curious MLB fans watching as regular season begins” — “It may be taking place halfway around the world, but live regular-season baseball is about to begin.”
Wall Street Journal: “Quiet Please, I’m Pitching! Sports in the Age of No Fans” — “Sports are starting to come back without fans in the stadium, and I fully support this idea—it’s a way to get the games we love to return faster, and more safely, and allow everyone to make the same joke about this being business as usual for the Miami Marlins.”
USA Today: “Opinion: MLB and players must play ball and immediately settle economic dispute” — “Stop it. Enough already. We want to watch New York Yankees ace Gerrit Cole face Boston Red Sox slugger J.D. Martinez at Yankee Stadium, not MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred and Players’ union chief Tony Clark arguing behind closed doors.”
ESPN: “Report: MLB projects loss of $640,000 per game without fans” — “Major League Baseball told players their prorated salaries would contribute to an average loss of $640,000 for each game over an 82-game season in empty ballparks, according to a presentation from the commissioner’s office to the union that was obtained by The Associated Press.”
This article was originally published on WBUR.org. [Copyright 2020 NPR]
