hogan873

Permission from health experts is a given. I'm talking about scenarios once (if) the health experts say it's okay.

No. If they can start in early July as planned, they can still play 80-100 games. The playoffs will be different for sure. The season is going to be funky, no doubt. But the owners, players, and most fans want to see as much baseball as possible.

This seems like the best option yet. Having clubs play in their home parks would be much more desirable for the players. And on the off chance that fans are allowed to start attending eventually, it's easier to work with that scenario at home vs. in neutral sites of spring training facilities.

Things are looking better recently with many states, including the hardest hit state of NY, showing signs that the curve is being flattened. That, along with the latest article about there being baseball "for sure", I'm more optimistic now than I have been since early April when we realized how bad things were going to get. The Mayor said she could see baseball in the city this summer, albeit probably without fans. The response to the "sports" over the weekend, the NFL draft, showed that fans are itching for something to watch. The MLB, owners, and players will (hopefully) come together and formulate a plan to bring the sport back. They could have TV to themselves over the summer. All that being said, I'll continue to be cautiously optimistic.

I didn't think about that. If they go with the "hub plan" or something similar, there will be less cost than playing in empty home parks.

The viewership of the NFL draft over the weekend should be a good indicator of how many people would watch baseball if it returns. People are starved for sports on TV right now, and baseball has an opportunity to sell the sport to the country and even pick up more fans. I miss watching MLB network and.or ESPN on Saturday and Sunday mornings. I found myself watching a fishing show on Saturday, and after I dried my tears and slapped myself, I asked what the hell I was doing.

Dude, these people are idiots. If people want to leave their house for "mental health reasons", they can go for a walk, ride a bike, go for a jog. We're all in the same situation, and the majority of folks are making the right decisions and staying home. If they're going to the store, they're taking precautions. They're not going to a fucking house party with a hundred other people.

I think that's key. That should give us a better picture of how contagious it is and who might be more at risk.

It's an interesting statistic as testing is done on people showing symptoms. I don't know if it's significant, but 20% of people with potential symptoms testing positive seems low. However, if the symptoms are as generic as headache, fever, sore throat, and/or shortness of breath, I could see plenty of people wanting to be tested. Hell, I get a headache a couple times a week. Regardless, I would assume that the 20% positive rate will be pretty static for a while until we see the real benefit to the stay at home orders.

I hope that voters realize that a vote for Biden is a vote for a (hopefully) very strong VP and a competent cabinet.

It will definitely be a different type season, and it would be no better time to try some things for future seasons. I think the type of season we see will come down to geographical. The latest idea, with all teams playing in one of three hubs, would allow teams to play different opponents than they normally would. Regardless of what plan is ultimately acted upon, the post season will be very different..

That would be close to 10 weeks since it started. That does seem about right, and even a slow opening of businesses before summer would be great. When this all started, I think many of us were hopeful that the April 7 original deadline would be the end. Now, I think we'd be elated at things opening by May 25.

If the NBA and possibly NHL come back and MLB doesn't, it'll look bad. And you're right that many fans wouldn't come back. I lost interest after the strike season (I was a Pirate fan at the time, so I had added reason to lose interest), and i didn't start following baseball again until 1999 when I moved here. There's a way to play, whether it's at spring training sites or at home parks, and whether it's with or without fans. If the season is cancelled ultimately because of money, that'll look really bad, and people will remember.

I'm one of the more optimistic, I think. It's hard to stay optimistic when you read or watch the news, but I keep reminding myself that it's mid-April. A lot can transpire over the next 3-6 weeks. I think MLB will do just about anything to have some sort of season. If they get the green light from health officials, I think they move forward. As optimistic as I am, I think the best case scenario is teams playing at spring training sites with no fans all season.

With the curve being bent/flattened and at least a dim light being seen at the end of this tunnel, and as more chatter about a potential 2020 season bubbles up, let's discuss what we THINK will happen.

I think that's the key. I was reading an article (lord knows there's a shit ton out there) about how do restaurants and bars open. It mentioned limited occupancy and actually removing/blocking off tables to provide adequate social distancing. I think this is pretty reasonable, especially if we're to see restaurants start to open in May. To your point, though, it will take a while before people are comfortable about going out.

With states now talking about how to get things going again, I'm starting to feel better about seeing baseball in some form this year. It will be very different, but it will be baseball. I think we can forget about fans in the stands. I find it interesting that MLB has volunteered to be involved in the antibody testing. I wonder if this is part of their plan to return to the field.

Yes. It's mid-April, and some lightening of restrictions by mid-May is expected...at least in some areas. Baseball could still start as late as early July and squeeze in 90+ games without going too far into October. I'd love to see baseball with fans eventually this year, but that's probably wishful thinking. The next 2-4 weeks will be crucial.

There has to be some consideration of what happens if teams could go back to their home fields (with or without crowds) at some point. I'm sure what MLB would ultimately like to do is have teams play at regular stadiums, but if they want to get something going sooner rather than later, they'd almost certainly have to go with some variation of the spring training sites plans. I would think that if they make the decision to play at spring training sites, they may just stick with it for the season. Hopefully we will all have a better idea of what's going on over the next few weeks.

This is a cool idea. It would be a nice change for a season. Maybe, if this happens, it will spur some discussion about realignment and rule changes going forward.

Latest models show fewer cases in Illinois, the curve is flattening in NY and Louisiana. Seems as if the social distancing is working. Still a ways to go, but we could be seeing the light at the end of a long tunnel. This could allow for the season to start, in some fashion, by early summer.

Don't read any of Nightengale's posts on Twitter. He's the biggest naysayer out there. Reading some other articles by other writers, it seems like MLB wants to start up as soon as possible (without safety and health risks), and playing at in regular stadiums, even without fans, is the most desirable. Heyman mentioned that the league is pretty much resigned to at least starting the season without fans, whether it's at home parks or in AZ. I think they'll get it done, one way or another. It's only early April. the next 4-6 weeks will be crucial to getting back to "normal", whatever that looks like.

You have to make plans. I'd bet that the AZ plan is just one of several depending on what happens over the next few weeks. The national social distancing "order" will be either relaxed or extended at the end of the month. The CDC recommended social distancing through May 15. A lot can happen between now and then. If the curve is flattening and health officials give some sort of green light, MLB and other sports will have to make a decision fast. If they wait to get a green light to make plans, they'd be weeks to months away from making anything happen.

As cold as that sounds, you're correct. If the "curve" isn't flattened and there are still a bunch of people dying every day, they won't push forward with any plan to play baseball. But if it's basically under control and there is rapid testing available, they will do what they can to play.

Latest statement from MLB is saying this is one of the plans they are considering, but no plan (including this one) is anything more than an idea. No formal discussions have taken place. No agreements are in place. However, they have to have multiple plans ready to go if (when) health officials state it's okay to start moving forward.