Baseball, apple pie and social distancing
Recently, the 30 owners in Major League Baseball approved a plan that would allow baseball to return to the field by early July. During an appearance on CNN, commissioner Rob Manfred discussed elements of the MLB’s safety proposal and the precautions to be taken to ensure the health of the players and personnel wouldn’t be compromised.
In the 67-page document, the proposal outlined the several measures to be taken before, during and after each game.
Among the changes to be implemented were (per ESPN):
- Each team will have an extended 50-player roster, with the number active for each game still being negotiated.
- Players and other team personnel not participating in the game would sit in the stands, separated by at least 6 feet, same goes for the national anthem.
- Extensive testing (10,000 COVID-19 tests per week, daily temperature screening, antibody testing) of players, umpires and other staff will be conducted, with exposed individuals isolated from the team while contact tracing.
Sounds reasonable, right?
Well, there are some more interesting wrinkles to this lofty plan.
During each game, there is to be no high-fiving, hugging or spitting of any kind while on the field. Although, Big League Chew is probably still okay. Base coaches won’t be allowed to approach runners or umpires, with socialization between opponents also discouraged. Even throwing around the horn is prohibited!
Not only will the players be distanced on the field, they’ll also be spread out in the clubhouses, as well. Lockers will be spaced out six feet apart and showering after games will be banned.
With all of these rules to be put in place, just to play 82 games, it begs the question: “Is this all worth it?”
“Nothing is risk-free in this undertaking.”
When asked how the league would address a hypothetical situation where a player contracted coronavirus, Manfred gave a perplexing response. While the person testing positive would be removed from the group and be quarantined, players exposed to the infected player would remain eligible to play and merely go through contact tracing protocol, with point of care testing as a precaution.
It is understandable that professional organizations want to get back to business, as the players are missing valuable games and money is being lost at every level. Major sports, including the MLB, NBA, NHL, MLS and college sports, stand to lose upwards $10 billion, according to Forbes magazine online.
As for the players in both MLB and the NHL, ongoing negotiations surrounding player safety and condensed-season formats, the return isn’t just transactional.
Many players have been vocal in their opposition to the preemptive reopening of sports, citing various reasons and concerns. Los Angeles Angels star Mike Trout, called the plan to return to baseball this season “pretty crazy” and sees a lot of red flags.
“We want to get back as soon as we can, but obviously it’s got to be realistic,” he said.
Not only does Trout worry about player safety, he has his own personal life to worry about, with he and his wife expecting their first child this summer.
“What am I going to do when she goes into labor… quarantine for two weeks after I come back?” he asked in an interview with NBC Sports.
It seems absurd to expect players to risk their health by jumping back into the season, for multiple reasons. In addition to the very real possibility that players will encounter the coronavirus, there is a question as to whether they’ll be in game shape come time for their games to begin.
Many athletes are training at home, but workouts and isolated practice can only go so far in preparing for in-game competition. The NBA has planned to give players a 25-day period to ready their teams, though that doesn’t make up for the time lost training and re-building chemistry with teammates. Injuries, performance and health are all at stake and any, or all, of these factors will affect a condensed season.
And what about the fans? Pro sports live and die at the hands of viewers, both in the stands and on TV. If and when each league resumes their seasons, the absence of cheering sections in the stands will be devastating, to both the momentum of each game and the collective spirit of competition amongst rivals. How will the home team have an advantage, if there are no people in the arena to lift them up or tear the opposing team down?
This void will undoubtedly be exploited in the NBA and NHL, as a return to the season will thrust certain teams into the playoffs right away. Game-winning free throws or triple-overtime thrillers won’t have the same intensity without fans to erupt in excitement. As for baseball, seventh inning stretches will ring hollow, as there will be no massive chorus of “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” or “God Bless America” to bring harmony to each outing — even if that harmony is slightly out of tune.
There is no doubt that sports are the ultimate unifier in times of crisis, when people are searching for a distraction or are in need of a common bond. After the attacks on Sep. 11 in 2001, America rallied around the New York Yankees during the remainder of the season, reminding fans that it is okay to enjoy “America’s Pastime” in the face of tragedy. Unfortunately, this time around, the country would be best suited to put sports in order to show solidarity in the midst of a ravaging pandemic.
So, in the meantime, everyone should enjoy the overwhelming catalog of classic games being aired online and on TV, keeping in mind that we are all in this together.
@froehlich_scott
— swfroehlich@gmail.com